I was caught in the way you got me
by Liz Jean Tonks
Summary: Dramione/Fake pairing/Old Fanfiction Tropes/ What happens if Hermione gets really annoyed by Ron and wants to show him she's capable of dating, even Malfoy?/ "The only thing they had in common was their mutual loathing, and that was generally not a very good basis to start any positive relationship."/COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

Sooo this is part of ' **The "Old Fanfiction Tropes" Competition II'**

I went with the Fake Dating and with the characters Draco and Hermione. I don't even ship those two. Actually, I hate this pairing. But that's excactly why I decided to give it a go. Who knows maybe I'll end up as an Dramione shipper after all.

Please note Hermione is sometimes acting slightly out of character.

The story takes place somewhere in year 6. Ron dates Lavender already, but it's not 100% in accordance with the timeline in the books, and Ron and Hermione, though Hermione being annoyed about him and Lavender, do talk to each other.

* * *

 **Chapter 1:**

'Don't be ridiculous, Ronald!', Hermione snapped. 'I am doing quite fine on my own.'

'Ah, yes right. Have you ever snogged someone except for Krum?', Ron said heatedly. 'Like, a relationship?'

'Just because you are dating Lavender does not mean you need to brag about it!'

'Who was bragging about everyone snogging except for me?'

She snorted. 'That was not me, besides, you are pretending as if it was such a huge thing, to date… Get over it, Ronald.'

'Over what?'

'Over thinking you're the only one capable of being in a relationship that lasts. Mind you, Victor and I were-'

She stopped. 'I can't believe I have to discuss this with you', she said coldly, and turned to leave.

'I pity Lavender', she said as she walked on, 'bad taste.' He ran after her.

'What did you just say?

'It's true.'

She looked at him slightly loathing.

'I'd date anyone rather than you.'

Ron glared at her. 'Come again?'

She didn't answer.

'I can't believe you', he said, 'sometimes you are such a…' He searched for words.

'You wouldn't', he said finally, sneering. 'That's not your style. You wouldn't date anyone.'

'Yes, I would!', she said angrily. She didn't really want Ron to get to her like that, but his attitude made her sick. She wanted to show him. And she also, kind of, wanted to pay him back for dating Lavender. Lavender, of all people!

He sneered. 'Malfoy, for instance?'

She glared at him. The grin on his face was the final straw to make her raging. She had enough of Ron's arrogant attitude. 'Fine!', she snapped, wiping the wide grin out of his face. 'I'll tell you! I am dating him already.'

She stood there, waiting, watching his face.

'Sorry?' He stared at her. 'You're kidding.'

'No', she said, taking a breath. She had started with this, now she had to stand for it. 'I am. We are. Erm, I was going to, you know, tell you guys, but… I didn't quite know how.'

She knew this was getting her somewhere she didn't want to go, but it was too late now. The grin finally faded out of Ron's face, making her inside smile. Yes!

'You've got be joking', he said, quite uncertain now.

'Ask him.' She bit her lip, praying he wouldn't do that.

He eyed her. 'You're bluffing.'

'I am not.' She managed to look disappointed and annoyed, and was proud of her acting qualities. 'But I don't quite get why I should justify this in front of you. It's not in your business.' She turned to the castle.

'Hold on!' He glared after her, but she didn't turn around.

As she went upstairs to the common room, she wondered how she would get out of this and preserving her honour, as Malfoy crossed her path. Of all people! He didn't even seem to recognize her at all. She wondered what was on his mind lately, he seemed always destracted.

She sighed. This would mean trouble. Why had she let herself driven so mad by Ron? Why did she care he dated Lavender?

She was already close to the portray hole when she changed her mind and decided to go to the library instead. Ron might join her in the common room, and she didn't want to talk to him right now. Maybe she should simply go to him, saying it had been a bluff and things were fine, that she didn't date Malfoy, but actually this was beyond her honour. She already could imagine Ron cheering about it. And she also wanted him to think she was in a happy relationship, to show him… whatever. She didn't know what she wanted to prove Ron. She had been stupid.

At least it was very unlikely he'd join her in the library.

As she went up to Gryffindor tower, passing the common room to the dormitories, she wasn't quite sure whether it was pure imagination or people were whispering behind her back. Harry and Ron were sitting close to the chimney, and Harry got up as she saw her.

'Hermione!', he shouted, waving with his hand. 'Over here!'

'Great', she whispered under her breath, trying to act normally as she went over to join them.

'Everything allright? You look a bit exhausted.'

Harry looked at her in concern.

'What? Oh yeah, I'm fine. Lots of homework, you know.'

'Had a fight with Malfoy?', Ron taunted. 'I just told Harry about you guys.'

Oh, great. Hopefully he hadn't told anyone else. She didn't dare look into Harry's face.

'No, we weren't fighting', she snapped, 'and last time I checked that's none of your business.'

'And last time I checked we were friends', he said. 'Blimey, you are tensed. Is something wro-'

'Won-Won!' Lavender's yell from another corner of the common room interrupted him. She waved franticly, crying his name. Hermione rolled her eyes.

'I'm coming, honey!', Ron said, smiling.

He looked at her and Harry, apologetically. 'Gotta go', he mumbled.

Harry glared after him, before turning to Hermione, one eyebrow arised.

'What is that all about? Is it just Ron misinterpreting or…'

She sighed. 'Okay, fine', she said.

'I told Ron I was dating Malfoy, because he wouldn't shut up about me not being able to be in a proper relationship and he was also under the impression I was jealous of Lavender – as if!- so I got kind of mad and wanted to show him.'

Harry grinned. 'I see. And Malfoy was such a sensible object.'

'Well, kind of.' She sighed.

'I feel so stupid now.'

Harry laughed. 'Well, good luck with that then, Hermione.'

She glared at him in anger. 'Great. Thanks!'

He coughed and then got a grip of himself. 'Sorry. So, what's your plan then?'

'I don't have one, have I? Like, what can I do?'

Harry chuckled, but stopped instantly as he spotted the angry expression on her face.

'Urm, sorry. Well I s'ppose you gor two options. Telling Ron you made the whole thing up, or', he grinned again, 'dating Malfoy. I mean, I guess you could try and convince Ron you guys just split up this very day, but I don't think he's that thick, so…'

'Could you be serious for a second?', she said slightly annoyed. 'I'm in the middle of a situation here.'

He looked at her, and she looked at him, and then they both burst out in laughter. It took Hermione a while to pull herself together again.

'Now, seriously', she said. 'I don't know what to do. I mean, what am I supposed to do? There is no way out of this without either losing Ron's respect to me or actually dating Malfoy. I mean, Malfoy! He wouldn't even want to date me! And I'd rather kill myself than actually dating him!'

'Yes, I s'ppose suicide is always a solution', Harry chuckled.

'Oh, just shut up. I wish I hadn't told you.'

He looked at her, and she couldn't help but saying: 'Okay, no, I'm glad you know. And if it wasn't so horribly tragic, it would really be a laugh. I'd be laughing if it wasn't me. But it is me, and really, I thought you could be a little more help.'

'I'm sorry', he said, 'but I think you have to sort this out by yourself.'

Yes. She had to sort it out by herself. Damn it.

* * *

 _/Hey, a casual affair/That could go anywhere/And only for tonight/_

I hope you guys enjoyed it! I actually really loved writing it. It's not my usual style, but I am currently trying out a lot. Hopefully you'll read the next chapter as well :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

She had avoided Ron the entire morning. Thank God, he had not yet interrogated Draco, but Harry had told her he planned on doing it if there was the oppertunity. Gladly he seemed busy dating Lavender to question her relationship with Malfoy, though this didn't excactly cheer her up. She had no idea what to do.

Telling Ron the truth seemed to be no option, not with the attitude he had lately, but dating Malfoy was just as unlikely.

If it had been someone else, but Malfoy… She sighed. She knew Ron wouldn't be entirely stupid, he'd notice she was not Malfoy's girlfriend even if he not actively asked him about it, and she knew that Ron would tease her about it for, like, forever.

She passed Myrthle's bathroom, thinking about their second year, how they had been brewing polyjuice potion in there. Things had been so easy back then. Polyjuice potion… Maybe that was the solution, asking Harry to drink it to look like Malfoy, and lingering around Ron, pretending to be a couple?

It was at least an option, but, yet, she was not so desperate to consider it seriously. Yet.

She was distracted by loud cries audible through the door of the bathroom, and stopped in her movement. Someone cried in there, desperatly. It sounded like a wounded animal whining for help.

It didn't sound like Myrthle's moans, she was sure of that. Uncertain, she pushed the door open, looking inside, and stopped dead. She saw Malfoy, standing with her back to her, in front of the washbasin, and Myrtle was sitting next to her. She didn't move.

Malfoy was shaking and crying.

'it's… it's not working', he stammared under tears. 'They must be suspecting… and I… if they know… if he knows… if he finds out, he'll kill me…'

He cried in despair.

He sobbed. Malfoy was sobbing in Myrthle's bathroom.

What was this all about? She moved a little closer.

Myrthle said something she couldn't understand.

Malfoy shook his head, 'no… it won't… and he told me he wouldn't be… merciful towards my family again…' The next words she couldn't catch because he cried to loud. Tears were flickering on the ground.

Carefully, she pushed the door open more widely, and entered.

'Draco?'

She kept her voice gentle and calm.

He whirled around. There was fear and despair in his eyes, and his voice, for once, didn't sound arrogant or appraisingly. 'Get lost.'

She approached him. He seemed more tensed now. 'What did you hear?'

He ignored her question. 'Did you… are you responsible for these attacks?', she asked in disbelief. Had Harry been right, after all?

Malfoy took out his wand. 'Forget what you heard, and get out.'

She drew her wand, too.

'Don't make me obliviate you!', he said, but his voice was shaking, and so was his hand holding the wand tightly.

'Expelliarmus!', she said, reacting out of instinct, and catched the wand easily. He flinched.

'Get lost, Mudblood, I'm telling you…'

'I don't want to fight', she said, a bit annoyed, 'I need to know if you are attacking everyone here, because if you are I will have to report it-'

'Don't go to Dumbledore!' He definetly looked stressed. Hermione had never seen him that scared and exhausted. She sudddenly felt sorry for him.

Probably he'd break down if she'd be seeing the headmaster now. And then another thought occurred her… Could there be a better oppertunity than this?

She looked at him. Was Katie Bell his fault? Would he do other things like that? Shouldn't she go and see Dumbledore about what she heard?

But then she saw his face, filled with dread, fear, and lonelyness, and Ron came to her mind again.

'Okay', she said slowly, 'I won't tell this anyone.' She took a breath. 'But I need to ask a favour of you, too.'

He glared at her, in relief. 'What is it?'

'Erm, well. Now, it's kind stupid…' She squirmed.

'Actually, I need to ask you to pretend you are going out with me. Like, you know, dating.'

He glared at her.

'You're joking, Granger.'  
'I wish I was', she sighed. 'But I need Ron to believe I'm your girlfriend. Don't think I'm enjoing this or anything.'

He shook his head. 'No way. No way. You're a mudblood. I got a reputation.'

Now she had said she wouldn't tell Dumbledore about anything, he seemed way more confident again. She shrugged.

'Fine, I'll be going to the headmaster then, telling him you might have put your hands on Katie Bell. He can interrogate Myrthle about it. And I might let slip in front of your Slytherin friends you were whining like a baby, too.'

She couldn't believe how easy the words came out of her lips. God, she must be really desperate. She would have never done something like that two days ago, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

As Malfoy didn't reply, she turned around, approaching the door.

'Okay, fine!', Malfoy called her back. She looked in his face. He lookes way more dreading again, and took a deep breath.

'You keep quiet about what you saw and heard, and I will pretend to be your… boyfriend or whatever. But apart from that, you'll stay a mudblood to me.'

She nodded, her expression quite cold.

'And no word to anyone about this relationship-thing outside school, especially my parents.'

She nodded.

'But Malfoy, if you are attacking anyone else I will have to report it.'

'You have no prove. I never confessed I attacked Bell, and it's none in your business to know whether I have.'

She glared at him.

'Maybe I got no prove, yet. But Dumbledore'd be interested in what I have heard either way.'

He did look scared. She really wished she'd know what this was all about.

'So we got a deal?'

He stared at her.

'Deal.'

* * *

 _I guarantee you'd keep it secret/So give it to me now/We're lost in a dream now_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Hermione tried to distract herself from the disaster she had gotten herself into, but it didn't quite work. She couldn't believe she was doing this to herself. Hermione had always been logic, determined and calm. Now she had let herself get driven into madness by Ron. But he had put her on her edge.

She took Harry aside after the lesson.

'Harry, I need to talk to you.'

She dragged him away from the crowded hall.

'What is it?'

He grinned. 'Are you still dating Malfoy?'

'Oh, just shut up. Ron thinks I am, doesn't he?'

'I think so', Harry replied, 'but I haven't seen him much lately. He's been, kinda, you know. Busy.'

'Yeah, I noticed', Hermione said darkly.

'And what are you going to do about your lovelife? Have you already talked to Malfoy? Set a wedding date?'

'Harry! Now, actually, I have indeed convinced him to be doing excactly that. Pretending we'd be a couple.'

'Are you serious? How did you get him to do that?' Harry looked at her, flabbergasted.

'Ah, well, we...I kinda swore him not to tell anyone. Anyway, we have a deal now. We're a couple, officially. Inofficially, I'm still a mudblood to him.'

'Don't you think this might turn out to be slightly problematic?'

She sighed. 'Maybe it already is. Anyway, as long as Ron believes I am in a happy relationship with Draco Malfoy, that's fine for me.'

'Okay. He won't be okay with that, by the way. Maybe you haven't noticed it yet, but neither Ron nor me like Draco particularly much…'

'I have noticed', she said sharply, 'and it's not like I feel any more sypathetic to him.'

She groaned. 'This is so stupid. I am so stupid.'

'I would have never thought I'd be saying something like that to you, of all people, Hermione, but I, too, think this was a kinda stupid thing to do. Why did you tell Ron you were dating him in the first place?'

'I was just saying it at rage, I didn't think about it… Blimey, I always think before I speak, usually… I totally let him get to me!'

She leaned against a wall. 'But you didn't hear him, Harry, he was simply annoying.'

Harry giggled. 'I still can't believe you have Malfoy on your side, Hermione. Has it ever occurred you he might be playing dirty and that deal of yours-'

'It has occurred me, but I know I can trust him with this. He needs me more than I need him.'

'Very well then. Well, since you are so close now, maybe you'll get him into telling you what he's been up to lately.'

'I doubt he will. And we are not close.'

'Well, officially, you are.'

She laughed, then sighed. 'God, this'll be horrible. I can try and figure him out, Harry, but actually, I want to spend as little time as I can with him.'

'Might be hard if public is supposed to think you are dating him.'

She closed her eyes. 'Yeah, that's right.'

He shook his head. 'I still can't believe you, Hermione. Is this some sort of dream?'

'A nightmare, more like it.'

He laughed. 'Blimey, this Ron-business is important to you, isn't it?'

She flinched. 'No, of course not.'

She paused. 'I just sort of slipped into this situation.'

'Yeah, don't we all', Harry said mysteriously. 'I gotta go, Hermione, I have quidditch practice tonight.'

'Have fun.'

'Thanks.'

VVVV

'Draco!' She ran after him, and he turned around, looking as annoyed by the situation as she felt. 'Yes? I'm sort of in a hurry.'

'Me too. I just figured, maybe we could, erm, hang around this evening somewhere on the grounds, it is quite nice weather at the moment. You know, sorting things out.'

He shrugged. 'I don't have a choice, have I?'

'Urm, I think not.'

'Well. See you then, Granger.'

And off he went.

VVVV

It was the most uncomfortable situation. They were sitting in front of the lake, under a tree. Noone knew what to say to each other, because both usually either ignored or insulted one another.

Hermione spoke, finally, after a while.

'Urm, I s'ppose we won't have to hang out all day long.'

'That never was my intention.'

'Erm, yeah. Well, basically I only need you to kind of be with me from time to time when Ron's around.'

'Do you care to tell me why you want Weasley to think we are dating?'

'It just sort of happened, anyway, that's not for you to care about.'

'Right. I'm merely suffering under it.'

She glanced at him. Was this something like a joke? Probably not. Still, this was the weirdest conversation she'd ever been in. The mere fact she was talking to Malfoy like that was weird. Maybe it really was just some odd dream, and tomorrow morning she'd wake up. Hopefully…

'Well, it's your decision. You could have rejected.'

He glanced at her. 'Yeah, right. And you would have run to Dumbledore.'

'Maybe you should stop attempting murder if you don't want to be reported about it. Because, you know, I'm pretty sure you're right they are suspecting you. Dumbledore's no idiot.'

'I never attacked Bell. And you should shut up about it if you want me to do that little favour to me.'

She didn't push the subject. Actually, it didn't really matter. She'd have a closer look on Malfoy now, and hopefully, if he had attacked Katie, it was a unique incident. And if he hadn't, it didn't matter either way.

And she really needed Malfoy. Ron had hung out with Lavender the entire day, giggling and snickering, and she couldn't stand it, nor his questions about Malfoy all the time. No, it was time to shut his mouth.

'I guess this conversation is now concluded', Malfoy said, after a few couples of uncomfortable silence.

'I guess', she replied, getting up.

Draco got up, too. 'Well, bye then.'

She nodded. 'Bye.'

He got going. 'Could you maybe catch up with me tomorrow in the great hall?', she called after him. He turned around. 'Yeah I will.'

'Erm, cool. Just make it look as if we were meeting out of coincidence', she added.

He nodded, annoyed. 'Yeah. Is that all then?'

'Yes.'

Their ways parted. Hermione wondered why she actually did this. It was ridiculous, and yet… she wouldn't give Ron the satisfaction. Then again she wondered whether simply telling Ron she'd been taunting wouldn't be much easier and relaxing than having to hang out with Malfoy.

In addition to the fact, she did not want to hang around with Malfoy, let alone everyone think they were dating, she also knew that, once Ron would realise she had been serious about their relationship after all, he'd start going on her nerves about it.

He hadn't liked it when she had dated Victor, and that although he had always liked him. He already hated Malfoy, well they all, did, and now this… it was such a mess.

* * *

 _It's better to burn than to fade away/It's better to leave than to be replaced_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

'Is it true, then, Hermione?'

Ron stared at her in disbelief.

'Seamus told he overheard Malfoy confessing in front of Pansy Parkinson he was your boyfriend.'

'Well, that's what I told you as well, haven't I?', Hermione retorted, her voice cold. 'Maybe if you stopped snogging Lavender for a second, you might notice what's going on in other people's life.'

'I thought you only said that to annoy me, I thought you were bluffing! I didn't really believe you were… you know.'

Hermione didn't reply.

'Oh come on, Hermione, not Malfoy, that guy's such a jerk…'

Still, Hermione didn't speak. In silence, she agreed with Ron, but of course she didn't say that.

'I still can't believe it. Why? How? Since when?'

She shrugged. 'He's quite okay sometimes, and one evening after school… he sort of asked me out, and I said yes…'

Ron started going up and down.

'Since when?'

'I dunno, maybe a couple of weeks', she said cagey.

Ron sat down. His expression was priceless.

'But he always calls you… was calling you a mudblood.'

She didn't reply.

'I mean… his father is a death eater, he might be one, too… He hates Muggle-borns in general, he's on the other side…'

She kept quiet.

'This is making no sense, Hermione. Malfoy!'

When she said nothing, he went on. 'How can you do that, Hermione, how can you like him… I mean… it's … completely mental!'

'Some might think it's mental you're going out with Lavender', she said coldly.

'But… that's different. Oh, Hermione..'

'What?', she snapped. 'Just leave me alone with it!'

He glared at her. 'Tell me you've been kidding.'

She shook her head, annoyed.

He didn't stop staring. 'I mean… what is Harry saying to that?

Hermione hesitated. 'He's fine with it', she retorted. 'Now, if you'll excuse me, I want to go to the library and do some studying. Maybe you should consider doing that, too?'

He got up. 'I'll go and catch up with Harry', he said. 'I can't believe you're betraying us like that.'

Her eyes narrowed. 'Betraying?'

'Yeah. Malfoy's on You-Know-Who's side, Hermione. You can't date him, it's-'

He searched for the right word.

'Ron?'

'Hm?'

'Just shut up about things you can't understand.'

Hermione turned around, got out of the room, and closed the door shut with a bang.

Draco did indeed catch up with her in the great hall. She couldn't quite believe it until he had laid his hands on her shoulder. She whirled around.

VVVV

'Erm, hi', he said.

Hermione felt how she got red in her face. It seemed that the eyes of half of the people that were present, and it were a lot of people here, rested upon them. This had been her intention, of course, but it did make her quite nervous.

Malfoy didn't seem to enjoy the situation much either.

'Erm, how are you?', she said quietly, failing to sound casually.

'Quite well.' He took her hand and she was quite impressed by his acting qualitites. Although she didn't like Malfoy, she knew that for him, it was the worst thing being spotted with a 'mudblood.' Yet, he had agreed. Actually this should make her suspicious, but she was way too eager in this Ron-business, as Harry put it. She didn't like admitting it, but it was important to her. Very.

So they stood there, in the middle of everyone, holding hands, feeling uncomfortable, but trying to be a convincing, loving couple.

Hermione didn't want to think about how this looked like.

She moved a bit closer to him, whispering in his ear.

'God, this sucks.'

Hopefully, to everyone else it would look like they exchanged their deepest secrets. Just stuff couples usually did.

He nodded, and whispered now, too.

'Is that enough?'

She nodded in relief.

'Yeah, I guess.'

They stared at each other.

'Well, I'll see you later then?', she said, raising her voice again.

'Yes', he looked more annoyed, but then seemed to realise he still had to pretent he was just talking to his loved girlfriend. 'See you.'

VVVV

Hermione was in the common room, reading. She savoured being left alone for once. Everyone else seemed busy with quidditch practise, homeworks or other activities. Ever since she had been sighted with Draco Malfoy, everyone made comments about it, of all different sorts.

The Ravenclaw girls seemed kind of choked she was dating someone like him, Some others had teased her about she should've chosen someone smarter.

Two Hufflepuff girls had asked whether Malfoy had finally stopped insulting her, two others had said they'd have thought more of Hermione. The rest of Hufflepuff seemed either not to care or be okay with her dating him.

Pansy Parkinson and the rest of Slytherin house on the other hand had already started not only to taunt her, but shouted insults after both of them – it wasn't quite enjoyable.

Her fellow Gryffindors were obviously indisposed of their relationship, but most of them were sensible enough to leave her alone. Only a couple of comments were made here and there.

The Weasley's reaction was the worst, for one, because Hermione felt very loyal towards the family and it was horrible to have them think she betrayed them, and secondly, because Ginny, who had always been one of her closest friends, suddenly turned rather cold towards her. They hadn't spoken yet.

In general, even if noone actively attacked her about it, everyone seemed to whisper behind her back, and everyone had that weird look on their face when they saw Hermione.

Noone seemed to be able to talk to her in a normal way anymore, and Hermione wished she hadn't started this. Well, at least, Ron had shut up. He barely talked with her at all ever since he had seen her and Malfoy tomorrow, and if he did, it where insignificant topics like school and homework.

Hermione really would like to tell everyone it was only a plot, that she did loath Malfoy on a mutual basis. But she didn't even inaugurate Ginny, because if Ron would ever find out that she merely faked it all to annoy him and pay him back for dating Lavender and making such a fuss about it, her life would be over.

Though she had to admit, the last few times she had talked to Malfoy, he had been quite decent. Well, he should be, since he needed her help, too, but still, it had surprised her how he had not taunted her once since they had their deal. He hadn't called her mudblood, after all.

Not that they talked much, but still.

Someone entered the common room. Ginny.

She sat down next to Hermione. Hermione laid her book away. She hadn't read a single page the last few minutes anyway.

'Hi.'

'Hi.' It was the first word Hermione had said to Ginny since she was, officially, going out with Malfoy.

Ginny stared straight forward, out of the window.

'Erm, what are you up to?' Hermione tried to sound casual.

Ginny ignored the question. 'It was you who told me to see some other boys, to relaxe about Harry', she said.

Hermione nodded. 'Well, you are seeing Dean, aren't you?', she asked, not knowing what Ginny was aiming that. Ginny ignored that question, too.

'So, are you trying to do the same now?'

Hermione stared at her.

'You know, with seeing Malfoy. Is it because of Ron?'

Hermione began to fiddle the red threads of the sofa. 'What do you mean?'

'What I just said. Are you dating him because you want to relax more about Ron? Or because you don't want him to notice how jealous you are of Lavender?'

'I don't – I am NOT jealous of her', Hermione said loudly.

Ginny simply looked at her.

'And I am not dating Draco because of Ron. Believe me, Ginny, this is not about Ron. It's about me and Draco.'

'Well', Ginny shrugged, 'it was the only explanation I thought was possible. I mean, Malfoy, Hermione, how did that happen?'

She shrugged. 'It just did. I mean, Ginny… I don't know. I'll explain it to you. Eventually.'

She stared at her. 'What is this Hermione? Who are you?'

Hermione tried to laugh. 'Come on, Ginny don't act as if this was the end of the world. Can you guys not simply be okay with it?'

Ginny shrugged. 'I guess we just need some time to get used to it. Hermione, you know the Malfoy family, do you?'

She sighed. 'I do.'

Ginny glared at her. 'Has Malfoy stopped calling everyone a mudblood?'

'I think so', Hermione said, uncomfortably.

Ginny sighed. 'Okay, Hermione. This is weird. And I don't get it, I really don't. I mean, you never even liked each other or talked particularly much. But I'll be fine with it. I'm standing behind you, you know that.'

Hermione smiled. 'Thanks, Ginny. I really appreciate that.'

VVVV

'Hermione, do you really think this is worth the trouble?'

Harry and Hermione were sitting in the library. Harry had joined her, and Hermione had been wondering why, because today was a saturday and there was no homework to do, but now she got that he probably wanted to talk to her in private about the Malfoy-situation.

'Oh, Harry, I've been wondering the same thing ever since I have started with this', she said.

'Really, Hermione, Ron's pissed. I think he only now realised you are serious about this.'

She shrugged. 'He shouldn't have pushed me like that, then.'

'I do not think he meant to force you into a fake-relationship with Malfoy! I mean, Hermione… don't you think you should reseolve it before the entire thing gets too big and complicated?'

This thought had occurred Hermione more than once. However, she was sticking to what she'd said before.

'I won't tell him it's all arranged and made-up. It would be too embarassing.'

His mouth twisted. 'More embarrasing than everyone thinking you are dating him?'

'That's not very comfortable, but it's not embarrassing.'

He sighed. 'Okay, whatever, Hermione. It's your decision, after all.'

'Correct. Harry, I'm really glad you know, though. You would really hate me, wouldn't you?'

He hesitated. 'I'd never hate you, but I… I understand Ron's attitude towards the idea.'

Hermione shrugged. 'You don't have to feel bad about that', she said, 'I actually share his opinion. I mean, if I imagine either of you two would date him… it's just…' She didn't have a word for it, but Harry nodded.

'Yeah', he said, 'it is. Well, see you in the common room, Hermione.'

She watched as he left. It was good to have one true friend left.

* * *

 _/I've never so adored you/I'm twisting allegories now/I want to complicate you/don't let me do this to myself/_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5:**

She and Malfoy were sitting in the library together. Hermione had arranged the meeting, and thought the place to be quite good. Since the people around them would most certainly talk about them sitting here together, Ron would hear about it, without seeing it, which would hopefully made him regret his bragging talk two days ago without being to enraged.

Unless someone entered the library and they felt the need to pretend they'd be an enarmoured couple, they did not talk. Hermione was doing homework, and Malfoy… she actually didn't even know what he was doing, and glanced on his paper.

He scribbled something into a notebook, but she couldn't read what.

Someone walked past them, and Hermione bent over to him. He looked up.

'God, this sucks…', he mumbled, 'everyone starring at us as if they had never seen a boy and a girl sitting in the library.'

'They are probably rather astonished you are sitting with a mudblood', Hermione replied.

Draco shrugged. 'Well, they have a right to be, haven't they?', he said dryly. 'I usually chose my company more carefully.'

'Too bad you didn't got to chose it this time', she said, her voice rather sharp.

His lips curled. 'Like I said. I got a reputation.'

 _So it's just because of your familiy name you hate on muggleborns?,_ she thought, but didn't say it. He seemed to answer the question in the next sentence anyone.

'I don't know what you're aiming at, Granger, I really don't. But be assured, given the choice, I'd already put a cruciatus curse on you and your family. I will never take a liking on Muggles', he eyed her scornfully, 'or muggleborns.'

 _Okay, it's not just because of your family._

Well, not like it mattered. Malfoy and her were simply to different to like each other. The only thing they had in common was that their mutual loathing and that was generally not a very good basis to start any positive realtionship. As long as at least everyone else was convinced they were determined to live happily ever after.

'Is this enough, then?', he asked annoyed.

'Don't be so on edge', she hissed, 'they are watching!'

He rolled his eyes, and made his voice sound more gentle. 'Sorry. So can I go now?'

'Yeah sure. Tomorrow same time?'

He nodded and was about to leave.

Hermione cleared her throat. 'Urm, Draco, maybe you should…'

'What?' He looked more annoyed again, but she also noticed how he winced slightly as she called by his first name.

'I dunno, maybe you should hug me for goodbye or something', she stammered. 'I mean, you know, as couples do.'

He rolled his eyes, but nevertheless, he gave her a hug. It was the most reluctant way of hugging someone Hermione had ever experienced and she hoped it looked passionate at least.

She felt how her face turned red. 'Erm, bye then', she said.

'See you.' And off he went. She had noticed he, too, had looked both bugged and embarrassed.

VVVV

She could feel everyone looking at her and whispering behind her back. Sighing, she tried to concentrate on school work. She had barely finished any of her essays. This whole affair totally got her out of her routine.

As she headed for Gryffindor tower, she was distracted by loud voices in the court. She recognized Malfoy's, and went closer to see what was happening.

Draco, Blaise and Pansy Parkinson were standing together, obviously arguing.

She drew closer.

'...saying to all that? You're insulting your entire family!', Pansy just said.

'Oh, shut up', Draco said. 'You guys really get on my nerve. I haven't told father yet, and you'd better shut your mouths about it.'

'Don't you feel some sort of pride of being a pureblood?', Blaise asked. 'I always figured you, of all people, would be the last one to-'

'Shut up. Just shut up. I'm not discussing this with you, especially not here.'

He turned around and went inside. His friends followed him, but not in silent.

'She's a mudblood!', Pansy said. 'Granger… Draco, why?'

Hermione got a glimpse of Draco's face and saw he struggled with himself. But he didn't say anything. He left his friends and entered the castle alone.

Hermione stared after him. She didn't like Malfoy, nor did he share any of his opinions, but she knew how hard it was not to tell one's friends the truth about their arrangement and she felt great gratitude towards him he hadn't given him.

VVVV

It was a paradox, but since Hermione was rather lonely ever since she -officially- dated Malfoy, she felt the sitting in the library with Malfoy was the only exciting thing that happened in her life the next couple of days. Of course, there still was Harry, but he was all busy with his lessons with Dumbledore or quidditch, and apart from him, and, well, Malfoy, noone knew about her only pretending to be Draco's girlfriend, so in spite of her despise of Malfoy, he was the only person who knew the truth, and that sort of made her feel kind of comfortable around him.

She wondered whether he felt simular.

Of course, their meetings were still pretty uncomfortable, and they barely talked, but at least, they both wanted to be left alone by each other, so in the light of the fact she was sitting next to Malfoy, it was fairly agreable.

Draco stared at the ceiling, and then seemed to notice he watched him.

'Do you think they buy it?', he asked quietly.

She shrugged. 'Hopefully.'

'I don't think we are a convincing couple.'

'No, me neither. Can you at least be very, well, boyfriendish when Ron shows up? If he shows up?'

He nodded, but rolled his eyes.

'Blimey, everyone is hating me for sitting here with you', Hermione mumbled.

'Well, you can talk. I'm the one ruining my honour and reputation, while you get to sit next to one decent wizard for once.' He stared at the ceiling again.

Hermione glared at him. 'Excuse me?'

He didn't reply, and maybe that was a good thing, because they had to keep their cover. It sort of sucked not being able tell him off.

She tried to do some homework. In this moment, someone entered the library. Ron.

She swallowed. She still hadn't really been in a conversation with Ron lately.

Hermione bent to Draco. 'Be convincing!'

He merely glared.

'I'm serious, if you spoil it now, I'll have to see Dumbledore-'

He nodded, annoyed, and then tried to make a friendly face.

Ron came straight to them, glaring.

'Erm, hi', Hermione said casually.

'Hi', he said coldly. 'Can we talk?'

'Sure.'

Ron glanced at Draco.

'Privatley?'

Draco smirked, and Hermione hoped he wouldn't carry things too far.

'I can go, but you know, Mione tells me everything anyway.' He stretched out his hand and grabbed, more or less gently, Hermione's hand.

She flinched at the touch but concentrated not to draw it back. She even managed to look at Ron, apologetically.

'Fine!', Ron snapped. 'I just wanted to say, since it's Parvati's and Padma's birthday today, I shall tell you, _Mione_ , that you are invited to have some cake later. Our common room. Parvati also said you are allowed to bring your boyfriend.' He looked at Malfoy crotchety.

'Okay, thanks for telling me', said Hermione, glancing at Malfoy. 'We'd love to come.'

She thought she heard a quiet groan from aside, but Ron didn't seem to have noticed.

'Ah well', he said, now definetly on edge, and turned to Malfoy. 'Just out of interest, is it still Draco, or are you blessed with a nickname too? Drikky, Acy?'

'Shut up, Won-Won', Hermione said.

She did not want Draco to get angry. She entrusted the boys with simply starting duelling right and here. And also, she wanted to show Ron, well, what a good match they were. A way better one than him and Lavender.

But Draco seemed rather calm. He turned to Hermione. 'That's my girl.'

Ron snorted. He was just about to leave, and Hermione turned to her homework, as Draco bent over to her, and kissed her slightly on her cheak.

* * *

 _/Oh, show me your love/your love/before the world catches up/_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

It was a short moment, but Hermione drew backwards immediatley, looking startled. Draco frowned. Hermione glanced at Ron. He looked at them, furiously, and then whirled around, leaving the library.

She stared at Malfoy.

'What is it now?', he asked annoyed. 'You've told me to be convincing, havent't you? About a million times?'

'No, it's fine', she said, 'I just wasn't expecting it. Maybe we could plan such things beforehand.'

'Okay. Maybe you could ask me before you promise we'll come to this birthday thing this evening.'

'What was I supposed to say? Everyone is expecting me gto bring you as my boyfriend, of course you need to come.'

'And if I don't, you'll go straight to Dumbledore.'

'Exactly.'

He glared at her. 'Have I already told you you are a scummy mudblood?'

She didn't reply, but got up.

'Bye', she said, and since everyone was watching she tried to stay nice. 'See you this evening.'

Draco nodded miserably.

VVVV

Harry ran after her. 'Hermione!'

She turned around. 'Hey.'

'How was quidditch practise?'

'Fine. Now, I need you to update me about Malfoy.'

'Should've seen that coming.'

He laughed.

'There are certain rumours about you two showing up together this evening.'

She sighed. 'Bad News travels fast, right? Well, it's true. In front of Ron, what could I have done?'

'Is there something else new?'

She shook her head. 'He merely thought it was appropriate to give me a little kiss in front of Ron, which was horrible as it happened, but good since Ron saw it.'

Harry chuckled. 'Hermione, this is just so weird.'

'Yeah. However, he's pretty pissed about tonight and in the end he called me mudblood, if that's making you feel less weird about us.'

He shook his head. 'He's unbelievable. But so are you, Hermione.'

She shrugged.

'You know,I really don't look forward to this evening', she said, as they walked on. 'Everyone will be staring at us. It's embarrasing enough as it is.'

Harry had nothing to say to that.

'And how is it supposed to work, with Malfoy under all these Gryffindors?', she asked, doubting. 'I wished I had said we had other arrangements.'

'Yeah, it could be quite stressful if he shows up, that's true', Harry said.

'Maybe I should tell him not to come.'

Harry glanced at her.

She was thinking it through. 'Ron might think we're not really together, after all, if Malfoy doesn't show up.'

'Maybe.'

'That'd be pretty embarassing.'

'I s'ppose.'

She looked at him. 'Do you think you guys can behave if he comes?'

Harry shrugged. 'Mind you, it's not just us. There are also some Ravenclaws coming.'

'Oh, great. Even more pressure.'

'If Malfoy behaves, probably everyone else will, too.'  
'Yeah, I'll have to talk to him about that.'

She certainly was not looking forward to this talk.

VVVV

'Draco!' He stopped dead, and whirled around. She saw how he said something to his friends, and then went to her.

'I don't have time', he hissed.

'I'll get straight to the point, then. About this evening. You won't be insulting anyone. Best, you don't talk much.'

'You can't give me orders, Granger. Why should I do everything you please?'

She opened her mouth, but he spoke before she could.

'If you go to Dumbledore just because I let slip something about your blood traitor friend or any of your house, I'll tell them all we were only making this up because you feel inferior in front of Weasley. You can't blackmail me like that.'

She stared at him, lost for words. 'Well… I… okay, whatever, but please don't bring up a fight or something. You _are_ supposed to be my boyfriend, after all, that's part of the deal.'

'Believe me, I've got better things to do than getting in a lather because of a bunch of Gryffindors.'

'Good. Catch me up later, then.'

VVVV

They were sitting in the common room together. In general, it was a nice, small crowd. The Patil twins, Ginny, Luna, Harry, Ron, Seamus, Lavender, Cho, Dean and Hermione. And Malfoy.

The entire evening he looked rather annoyed. They were holding hands, which felt less odd than it could have been. In general, Hermione didn't think anyone thought they were acting oddly, which was a great relief to her.

After the meeting, she realised Draco had indeed behaved quite decent the entire time.

'Thanks', she said quietly, as they parted.

He looked at her, bewildered.

'Wherefore?'

'You know, for not being… well, a bully', Hermione said.

'You're welcome', he said dryly.

And as they said goodbye, the fact they would be seeing each other again tomorrow felt so normal. Maybe not good. But normal.

* * *

 _Hey/Where will you be waking up tomorrow morning?/Are you nasty?/Are you nasty?_


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

'Don't you look happy', Hermione said as she met Malfoy the next day.

Malfoy glared at her. 'Shut your mouth', he said.

Hermione blinked. She hadn't intended to make him mad, but well, it obviously had been a dumb idea to try and have a bit of fun.

'I actually don't have time to hang around with you today', he said. 'Got stuff to do, and well, I had to endure hanging out with you almost the entire day yesterday, so…'

Hermione shrugged. 'Yeah, it's fine. But listen, about the quidditch match next sunday…'

He closed his eyes, opened them again and rolled them. 'You're not asking me to be going there with you together, are you?', he said, annoyed.

'Erm, well, yes.'

It would be perfect; it was Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw and she knew Ron would hate having to see Draco and her watching the match. Plus, if Malfoy had to go and pretend to be with Hermione, he wouldn't get the chance to taunt the Gryffindor team.

He sighed. 'I don't really got time. But fine. If you leave me alone the rest of the week.'

'Okay', said Hermione. She actually could need a little time-out from Malfoy.

'Are you busy saturday as well?'

He nodded. 'Why?'

'Not going to Hogsmeade?'

'No.'

'Okay, cool', she said relieved, 'cause I'm going, but it's fine if you don't come along. Just tell everyone you didn't have time to go. If you and I went seperate, that would look stupid.'

He nodded and made a face.

'Is it all then, Granger?'

He looked tired and exhausted.

'Yes', she nodded, 'but make sure that if-'

'if we meet on the corridor, I'll knuddel you and everything.', he said, bugged. 'I know.'

'Good. Bye then.'

She turned around and went away, wondering how long this should go on like this. At least Malfoy cooperated rather well. Better than she'd imagined at least.

VVVV

It was quite relaxing to have a break of hanging out with Malfoy. Slowly, everyone seemed to accept they were a couple, and when they met on their ways through the castle, Malfoy always was rather gentle. Sometimes even kind.

Of course, when noone was around, he thoroughly ignored her, but actually, Hermione liked it better that way.

For some reason, though, sometimes she almost forgot it was Malfoy she was talking with. He reminded her rather often of his rudeness and what a git he was, but in between, he could be rather nice.

For about two seconds.

And then he would be rude again.

But it was better than nothing.

She still hadn't found out what Malfoy had been up to lately, and in how far he was involved with Katie Bell; as far as she noticed, he did nothing suspicious.

VVVV

Either way, the visit to Hosmeade without him was simply wonderful. It made her feel as if nothing had changed – she hung out with Harry and Ron, and all was fine, they didn't even mention Malfoy, something she was Ron very thankful for. Everything was nice – until Lavender showed up, and Ron went off with her.

Hermione couldn't help but roll her eyes as she glared after them. She turned to Harry but he was distracted and looked in a complete different direction. She followed his gaze, and noticed Ginny with Dean.

She took his hand. 'Shall we get going?'

He nodded, grimly. 'Yeah, I don't really feel like staying here any longer.'

As they were on their way back up to the castle, Harry turned to her again.

'And I'm sure you cannot wait to see your lover again.'

'Oh, please, stop this', she said. 'How's Ron feeling about this affair lately?'

Harry shrugged. 'No changes. I think he's mad, but that's what you wanted him to be, isn't it?'

She bit her lip. 'I didn't want him to be mad, just… I don't know. It's all pretty weird.'

Harry snorted. 'Well, I don't want to say it's your fault, but…'

'Yeah, I know, I'm an idiot.'

She hesitated. 'But you know, at times, it's sort of odd… I mean, I gravely dislike on Draco, and he's a git, but sometimes I actually quite enjoy not sitting in the library all alone. You know, when he behaves decent for once.'

He looked at her. 'I didn't know Malfoy could behave decent', he said, his voice rather cold.

'Yeah… I don't know. I guess we both don't want to make things more miserable for each other. So we behave. Both. I don't know. Maybe I should simply stop this right now.'

Harry didn't say anything.

'I mean, I could say, Malfoy and I broke up, couldn't I?', she added thoughtfully.

'You could do that', Harry replied.

'But it would only show Ron I'm really not capable of a longtime realtionship…'

'It could', Harry said.

'What shall I do?'

Harry shrugged. 'Well, if Malfoy is such a pleasant company as you say…'

'I didn't say he was pleasant. I said, occasionally, he's no git.'

'Right, that's what I meant.' Harry groaned. 'I don't know, Hermione. I told you, you were just complicating everything.'

They turned silent. Hermione figured Harry was probably busy with thinking about Ginny and Dean. Maybe she shouldn't bother him with Malfoy.

VVVV

'Good luck, Harry', Hermione said. Harry grimaced. 'Thanks. Have you seen Ron?'

Ron hadn't joined them for breakfast. He was either really nervous or busy with Lavender. Hermione shook her head.

'D'you know where Malfoy is?', she asked.

'No idea. Well, see you after the match, Hermione.'

She nodded, and tightened her scarf. It was starting to get colder.

'Hi.'

She looked up. Draco.

She tried a smile. 'Hi.'

He wasn't wearing a scarf, but at least he had left his "Weasley-is-our-king"-badge in his common room. In spite of her arguments with Ron, she didn't want him to get teased during the match – especially not by Malfoy.

'I can't believe I agreed sitting in the Gryffindor crowd', Draco said as they were looking for seats.

Hermione shrugged.

'I'd never have thought to sit next to a, how do you call yourself, _pureblood_ during a quidditch match', she said. 'Oh, wait, actually I have already', she added coldly.

Draco raised an eyebrow. 'If you mean Weasley…'

'Watch your tone', she said sharply. He shrugged, turned silent and stared at something behind her. Hermione turned around and noticed the teachers were making their way up to their seats. Snape and Hagrid gazed at them, while McGonagall, after looking at the unfamiliar couple for a second, looked straight forward again.

Hermione sat down, and Draco followed her.

'So', she said, after a while of silence, attempting some casual chat, 'I guess you'll support Ravenclaw?'

He shrugged. 'I'm rather neutral.'

'Ravenclaw is three points ahead Slytherin', she informed him, 'while if Gryffindor won…'

'Yeah, it would be better for my house's sake if Gryffindor won, I know', Malfoy said on edge. 'But honestly, I don't really care.'

Hermione laughed. For some reason, she quite enjoyed picking on Malfoy. 'Well, here they come, _darling_.' He snorted silently.

When the match started, Hermione, who cheered amongst everyone else, and Draco, who, his arms crossed before his chest, stared rather bored down on the pitch, not showing any kind of emotion, did not talk at all.

Sometimes, when Gryffindor scored, she would turn to him to cheer with him, and then she realised it was Malfoy she was sitting next to, and she would turn back again.

After Ron had let in three easy shots, she heard Malfoy starting to hum "Weasley is our king".

She gave him a dig with her elbow, and, to her astonishment, he turned silent.

Ravenclaw played outstanding this day. After almost an hour, Hermione checked the score nervously. 200 versus 50 points for Ravenclaw. Even if Harry caught the snitch, they would be square.

Gryffindor scored, and the crowd started to cheer, but Hermione was distracted by Harry who seemed to have spotted something in the air. If he caught the snitch now, Gryffindor would win…

But then, as she looked out for the quaffles again, she noticed Ravenclaw was ahead, their chasers flying towards Ron's hoops, the Gryffindor's beaters busy with keeping the bludgers away from Harry…

One bludger hit Ron's broom. Hermione flinched as Ron struggled not to fall of, and, at the same moment, the quaffle flew through the air, right towards the hoop.

Her eyes drifted to Harry who did not seem to have noticed Ravenclaw was about to score; he stretched out his hand to catch the golden ball, and nervously, she looked over to Ron.

The crowd which had just been cheering turned all silent.

He was on his broom again, and his arms reached for the ball… And he caught it.

In the same second she heard Madam Hooch's whistle; Harry had caught the snitch, the game was over, 210 points versus 200 points for Gryffindor.

And she forgot who it was she had been accompanied with this match, she whirled around, and gave Draco a big hug.

They remained in the position for a few seconds. Draco looked at her, quite startled. 'Erm.'

Around them, people started piping and howling.

Hermione turned red.

'Well, congratiulations', Draco grunted.

'Thanks', she said, her voice high.

'Uuuh, Hermione, so it's not only quidditch you're lucky with currently', someone called from behind. She tried to ignore it.

'Well, I'll go celebrating then', she said to Malfoy.

He nodded. 'Bye.'

'Bye.'

As they parted, people around her were making all sorts of comments.

'The dreamteam is departed now? How sad!'

'Hey, Granger, if you guys get married will it be Muggle- or wizardstyle?'

'Don't you want to go with him, _Mione_? I heard it's quite cosy down in the dungeons.'

She tried not to listen.

She had to get through this.

She'd never imagined, that those comments were worse than the hanging out with Malfoy.

But compared to the stuff she had to listen to half of the day, the time she spent with Malfoy, was truly agreable.

* * *

 _I've got to have you closer now/endless romantic stories/you never could control me_


	8. Chapter 8

Before the chapter starts, I want to point out that in this story, I really mess up with the timeline. I know in the books, Ron and Lavender start dating after Slughorn's party (or shortly before; to be honest I don't remember) but here things are pretty different. I just figured I say it ahead so noone will wonder. Enjoy the next chapter, and _Melluky_ thanks for your review I'm glad you enjoy the story (btw also a big thanks to anyone who sticks to the story.)

* * *

 **Chapter 8:**

'Miss Granger!'

Hermione turned around and noticed professor Slughorn.

'Good I run into you', he said, and she smiled gently.

'As christmas is approaching I thought it to be nice to have a little, let's call it party, exclusive for our club of course. What do you say?'

She smiled awkwardly. 'Erm, I'd be delighted, sir.'

He beamed. 'So I can count on you to come?'

She nodded and forced herself to smile.

Gladly, he turned to leave, but then whirled around again. 'Oh, and, Miss Granger? Would you do me the favour and check for Harry Potter's free evenings? I do want him on our party, too. No avoiding me this time, you tell him that.'

Hermione tried to keep up the smile, knowing Harry would not like that.

'Erm, yes, of course I can.'

He beamed. 'Very well, I'll see you tomorrow in class then. By the way, though it'll be a selected party, everyone is of course allowed to bring guests.'

He did not speak Malfoy's name, but it lay in the air. Hermione bit her lip. If even the teachers knew...

'Okay', she said in a strangled voice.

'Good day to you, Miss Granger.', he nodded, and went away.

She stared after him. Great. What did she have to look forward now? Convincing Harry to come to the party, convincing Draco to go with her and everything for the stupid Slug Club. Of course, it was only November, there still was time...

VVVV

'Harry, I told you', she said annoyed. 'Slughorn expects you to show up. And, to be honest, you should. It can be quite nice sometimes, nice people, you know, good food... Ginny will be there...'

'… with Dean', Harry said gloomily.

'Oh come on, Harry', she snapped. 'What am I supposed to say, I'll be going with Malfoy – that is, if he accepts...'

He merely glared at her. 'You know that's your fault.'

'Yeah, yeah. 'Course. Anyway, just come. It's only one night, you know. And I'd appreciate some mental backup.'

He nodded. 'Well, I'll have to go, haven't I?', he said. 'Try and befriend with Slughorn... Is Ron going to come?'

She shrugged. 'I don't think so, he'd need a date, wouldn't he? Not being in the Slug Club?'

Ron and Lavender entered behind them, kissing goodbye and Ron walked over, joing Harry and Hermione.

Hermione's eyes narrowed. They had barely seen each other since the week-end.

'Did I just hear my name?'

Hermione laughed a cold laugh. 'Always in need of attention, aren't we, Won-Won?'

He glared at her. 'Sorry?'

She merely shrugged, and turned to Harry. She wouldn't simply forgive him that he had ignored her thoroughly after the match, and had been off with Lavender the entire evening.

'Come', she said to Harry, 'let's go, getting you a date for the party... D'you think someone could lend me a dress or something, the one I wore at the yull ball has gotten too small, and I know for certain Draco's going to put on his suit...' She meant to provoke Ron – and she did.

'Hang on', he said. 'What are you talkig about? What party?'

'Oh', she said, turned to him and eyed him pitifully. 'Just for members of the Slug Club, you see, I don't think you're allowed in...'

'Slug Club?', Ron repeated, his eyes narrowing. 'Slug Club? Are you serious?'

She didn't reply and turned to leave. Ron grabbed her arm. 'Oh, I'm sure Mione and Drikky will look great together at this party... Slug Club, I mean, honestly...'

Hermione looked at him coldly. 'If you would please take you hand off me', she said sharply. Lavender entered the common room again, keeping her eyes out for Ron. 'Your girlfriend is searching you', Hermione said, 'you go and join with her, maybe you two could found the Snog Club, for a change... Throw a party for yourself, maybe then you'll finally shut up about other peoples business.'

He glared at her. Harry squirmed uncomfortably. Hermione opened the door and went downstairs.

She heard steps behind her, and glanced over her shoulder. Harry had followed her. 'You guys can't give it a rest, can you?'

Hermione stared straight forward. 'It's always Ron who starts is all', she said.

'Yesterday he told me you were always looking for trouble.'

She came to a stand. 'I am always – _what is he_ – utter rubbish, how _dare_ he...'

'I'm just saying what he said', Harry said quickly, 'but, Hermione, personally I feel like you both want to outdo each other... This is no competition.'

She snorted. 'Tell Ron that.'

'I did, actually.'

They turned silent.

'Got an idea who to take to Slughorn's party?'

He sighed. 'I still don't wanna go.'

She rolled her eyes, and then spotted Malfoy. Harry followed her gaze.

'I guess I should get over with this and ask Malfoy to come to the party with me', she groaned.

'I still can't believe he's doing all this stuff for you.'

She shrugged. 'Like I said, we had a deal.'

'And he's actually keeping his promise?'

'Looks like it.'

Harry glared at Malfoy. 'Well, take care of yourself, Hermione.'

She nodded.

VVVV

Draco crossed his arms in front of his chest. 'Are you serious? I went to that stupid birthday party, I watched the quidditch game with you and now you ask me to join you at Slughorn's party?'

'It's still weeks away', she said nervously. 'Just this one favour, Malfoy.' She flinched by her words. Did she actually beg?

He groaned. 'You do think I don't have anything else to do, don't you?'

She shrugged.

'Very well, Granger. I'll come. Under one condition.'

Her eyes narrowed. 'That is?'

'After this … party, we'll put this to an end. Tell everyone we broke up. And that's that.'

She stared at him. She also whished to clean up this mess, but then again, if Ron would be dating Lavender, and she was alone, what would he say? He'd get all started about her short-term relationships again, and that was excactly what she wanted to prevent.

'And if I don't agree?'

He hiked his shoulders. 'I guess that means you'll be going alone then, and have the pleasure to explain everyone why you aren't joined by your boyfriend.' He turned to leave.

'Hey!', Hermione said, 'hold on. We had a deal!'

He glared at her. 'Which said, we'll tell everyone we're dating. We never mentioned evening-activities, and actual dates. That never was concluded.' And he went.

'Fine, I'll report you to Dumbledore then', she shouted desperatly.

He turned around. 'Do that, I don't care. You can explain him why you didn't talk to him earlier.'

She looked at him. 'You're bluffing.'

He shrugged, and went away, pretty fast. Straight forward. She bit her lip. Maybe it would be fine. After all, there still was plenty of time until the party, maybe Ron would've broken up with Lavender by then, and until then...  
She actually had no intention of seeing the headmaster. Draco had behaved peacefully lately, and, indeed, Dumbledore would not be pleased of her coming to him that late.  
Then Ron came to her mind again, teasing her about their breaking up...

Malfoy headed for the dungeons. She had to make a decision now.

She ran after him. 'Malfoy!'

He turned around. Was that a smirk on his face?  
She sighed. 'Okay', she said. 'We'll be going to the christmas party, and a week later we'll split. Deal?'

He nodded. 'Okay, Granger.'

'Will you join me in the library after dinner?'

'Yeah, I will.'  
'Great. See you.'

'Yeah, see ya.'

They departed, both going different ways but were soon to be reunited.

* * *

 _'Cause there's always time for second guesses, I don't wanna know/If you're gonna be the death of me, that's how I wanna go_


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9:**

Hermione stared on her essay. It was completely rubbish. She sighed. Breaking up with Malfoy would definetly do some good to her schoolwork. Malfoy glanced at her paper.

'Potions?'

She nodded.

He took out his quill and parchment. 'I've already finished it, you know', he said, smirking a bit.

'Good for you.'

There was a moment of silence. 'Argh!', she said. 'It's hopeless, if I don't start with transfiguration now, I won't get half finished with that, and McGonagall seems so tensed lately anyway...'

Malfoy grunted.

She glared at him. 'What?'

'Why are you so … obsessed with schoolwork? It's just school, you know.'

'Oh, shut up', she said annoyed, 'this coming from someone who rather spents his time attacking students and showing off...'

He didn't even deny it. 'Actually, I only meant to calm you down a bit', he said, shrugging, 'but you can kill yourself with this stress, if you want. Makes things easier for me.'

'Yeah, right, one Mudblood you and your fellow Death Eaters don't have to kill', she said.

He smirked. 'Excactly.'

She glared at him. 'I was not joking!'

He still smiled. 'Me neither.'

She turned to her parchement again and scribbled something down. Malfoy rose his head to the ceiling. After a while, he grabbed her potion's essay and read over it.

'This is beneath your standard, Granger', he said.

Annoyed, she looked up. 'I know.'

He bent forward. 'No offence, but I think I have done quite better in this one.'

She glanced at his essay. He turned it to her, a slight smirk on his face. Hermione read through it. She had to admit, it was quite on point.

'You're interested in potions, aren't you?'

He shrugged. 'Sure. I mean, you know, professor Snape's a pretty good teacher.'

She looked at him coldly. 'I think he's a bully. Call that a teacher, if you want.'

'Well, you can't deny he knows his stuff. He's a damn good potion's master.'

'Maybe so, but that doesn't change – oh, forget it. Of course, he is not only some teacher, he's head of your house.'

Draco smirked. 'Jealous?'

She snorted. 'Yeah, right.'

'Anyway', he leaned back, 'if you want, you can copy the rest of my essay, so you can finally finish your transfiguration stuff.' She inspected him suspiciously. 'Since when are you that generous?'

'Two reasons, Granger. For one, I want to get out of here, and the faster you're finished, the faster I am, too. Second, there is a sort of appeal of the satisfaction I will feel if Hermione Granger has copied from me.' The arrogance of him made her sick. But it was the first time he had adressed to her by her first name. She glanced at him. 'It's okay, I have gotten some ideas from yours.'

The next few minutes, the library was quiet except for Hermione's quill scribbling over the parchement. After she had finished potions and transfiguration, she started with arithmancy.

'That's the only subject left', she informed Malfoy as she noticed he was checking the clock on the ceiling.

'So', she said, when she finally packed her things together, and put on her jacket, 'how are your mates taking on, you know, us?'

He looked at her. 'Spectaculiar', he said, with heavy irony. 'Yours?'

She shrugged. Before she could answer, someone walked passed them, came to a stand in front of the book shelve and pretended to search for a book. Hermione noticed it was Parvati. Knowing that she was friends with Lavender, she quickly took Malfoy's hand. 'Well, I'll see you tomorrow', she said quietly. He frowned. 'I can't tomorrow', he said. 'I'm going home for the weekend.'

'Oh.' Hermione had no real answer to that. Glimpsing at Parvati, she knew she was definetly not looking for a book to read. Her eyes lay on her and Draco. A bit Carefully, and very much akwardly, she bent forward and gave him a hug. Draco gave her a forced smile as he went out, his steps quickly leading him away from the library.

VVVV

Harry stared at her. 'I knew he'd try and slither out of the "deal"! Hermione, you shouldn't let you push around like that.'

She shrugged. 'Maybe not', she said, 'but I had to convince him to come to the party on christmas, hadn't I?'

'Well, at least things will be more peacefully then', Harry said and they both went quiet.

Hermione noticed Ginny with her broomsticks approaching. 'How are you guys doing?'

Harry shrugged.

'Hey', Ginny smiled, 'Harry, I thought it was quidditch practise now?'

He nodded. 'It is. I'm coming in a second or two.'

'Cool', she said, gave Hermione a rare smile and went on. Hermione stared after her. So did Harrry.

'By the way', he said, without taking her eyes of Ginny, 'I asked Luna to the party.'

'What did she say?'

'She was delighted. To be honest, I kinda regret having asked her, but that means I will definetly be going. Anyway. I gotta go.'

Hermione stared after him, trying to figure out how he felt. She knew he loathed Malfoy as much, or probably even more than Ron, and yet, he behaved way more mature than Ron did, trying to look at it as if it was a big joke. At the same time, he was definetly miserable about Ginny and Dean, but still, he'd come to the party.

She sighed. From the outside, it seemed Harry handled everything pretty well. How was it that her lovelife, when she had always been reasonable, was such a mess? She didn't want to continue pretending to be with Draco, and still the thought of losing their "relationship" seemed unbearable. She couldn't even figure out what she was feeling for Ron. She couldn't figure out anything anymore. Hermione wished to be younger again, friends with both Ron and Harry, and Malfoy being their enemy...

Without noticing, she took the stairs to their common room. It was deserted.

Hermione let herself sink into an armchair, and closed her eyes. For some, some real odd reason, she wished Malfoy was here. If she could simply go to the library, accompanied by him, doing homework... In the past, maybe she would've gone to the quidditch pitch, watching them practise. She considered it for a second; but Ron would be there, presumably ragging her, and Lavender would be, too...

She pulled her legs up to her knees and stared out of the window. Could you miss someone you actually loathed? Well, maybe, if there was no other company. Hermione bit her lip. She had noone anymore. Harry was busy with his stuff, Ginny avoided her most of the time, everyone else was whispering behind her back, and Ron... She couldn't help it; She felt how a small tear made its way out of her eye, down her cheak. She whiped it away, but other tears were following, and a few minutes later, Hermione sat sobbing in the armchair. Everyone had left her. Hermione couldn't remember to have felt that lonely since her first term, when Ron had teased her about being an annoying know-it-all, but since then, she had made friends... She could always count on Harry and Ron, until now.

And realising she was so desperate she actually missed Malfoy's company, made her cry even more.

Steps were approaching, and Hermione got up, quickly, and made her way into the girl's dormitory.

Noone should see her like this. She felt like going to bed anyway, and as she tried to fall asleep, she tried to think of nothing at all.

VVVV

'Hermione?'

She blinked. Someone had spoken her name, but the room was dark. 'Hermione, are you already asleep?'

It was Ginny's voice. Hermione sat up. 'I... must've dozed off', she said tiredly. 'What time is it?'

'Half past nine. We just finished practice.' Ginny turned the light on and eyed Hermione's pyjama. 'Blimey, you must've been tired if you already went to bed', she said, and sat on her own bed. 'Anyway, I'm here to tell you, he's here, and he wants to talk to you.'

Hermione's heart beat faster, thinking of Ron. 'Who?'

Ginny looked at her. 'Draco Malfoy.'

Hermione couldn't hide a small smile.

'Shall I tell him you already went to bed?', Ginny said, staring at her.

'No', Hermione said quickly, thinking about how jealous Ron would be if she was off to see Draco, 'I'll go and see him. Thanks, Ginny.'

And as she jumped out of her bed, she couldn't help but feeling somehow interested why Malfoy had come back earlier - after all, he had said he'd be gone the entire week-end, and she also was curious to find out why he wanted to talk to her now.

* * *

 _Well I never really thought that you'd come tonight/while the crown hangs heavy on either side_


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10:**

Hermione looked at Draco, anticipating. 'So, what is it you want from me?' She looked at him, noticing he didn't look good. His expression was tired and there were some weird marks over his face. 'That's not blood, is it?', she asked.

He shook his head, still not giving an answer.

'Why aren't you still at home?', Hermione went on.

He sighed. 'You really are curious. Watch out for yourself, it might cost you your life one day.'

She smirked. 'Thanks, but I think I can take care of myself.' Hermione leaned her head against the wall. She was still wondering what Malfoy could want from her. 'There is a reason you came to see me tonight.'

He shrugged. 'Does their always have to be a reason? It was you who was so eager to make everyone get the chance to catch a glimpse of the two of us standing in a corridor or the library together. Nothing to wonder about.'

She stared at him. 'So you merely came to see me to, well, see me?' He shrugged. 'Suppose. Mind you, we're over with this anyway soon, so I can at least do a good job until then.'

'Well', Hermione said, uncertain. 'Thanks.'

There was an akward moment of silence. 'So', Hermione said, 'how are things at, at your house?' She had to remind her strongly that she was talking about the Malfoy household. Weirdly, her view on the Malfoys had actually changed a slightly bit the last days.

She noticed how Malfoy bit on his lip. 'Well, you know. I mean, I didn't really bear it there any longer. Things have changed since-' He looked at the ground, and Hermione eyed him in utter surprise and shock. Was Malfoy actually, well, almost, crying? But then he rose his gaze again and looked her directly into the eyes, somewhat furious.

'I'm sorry', Hermione said, not noticing how Draco's expression had changed. The next second she flinched by the sound of her voice. Did she actually pity Draco? For his father being arrested out of justice? Nothing more than justice? But then also the picture of a dementor came to her mind, and she shuddered by the thought to have to spent one night in Azkaban, even if you did deserve it... And if there was one person she knew Malfoy cared about, it was his father... And his mother, probably.

'Yeah, right you are', she heard him say, and there was clear loathing in his voice. 'If it wasn't for you, he'd be at home, if it wasn't for you I didn't have to...' She tried to make eye contact, but Draco avoided her.

'Malfoy, are you that thick?', she asked annoyed. 'Your father was so close to kill all of us! Of course we had to defend ourse- well, forget about it. If you'd been there you would've fought on his side, I know.'

'Of course I would've', Draco said.

'Why, Malfoy, why?', she said, almost shouting desperatly. 'Because of him or because of Voldemort?' She didn't even know what she felt right now. Pity? Anger? Dread? Somehow it was all of it, and nothing.

Malfoy stared at her. 'I don't have to listen to such mud, mudblood', he said furiously. 'Once we stop pretending this dumb couple-thing I will attend to you, and your stupid friends and you will regret what you have just said.' He turned around, just before Hermione could notice the little tears in his eyes.

'Fine', she shouted, 'd'you think I'm scared now?' But he didn't hear her. Grimly, she looked after him. 'We're not finished, Malfoy', she murmed under her breath.

VVVV

'What did he want?' It was the first time in days Ginny looked her into the eyes.

'Erm', Hermione said. 'Er, well, he just dropped by to tell me he's back.'

'Ah, well', Ginny said. 'Listen, Hermione – he treats you alright, doesn't he?'

'Yeah, he does.'

'He's kind to you?'

'Yeah, he is.' Hermione's voice was motionless.

Ginny looked at her. 'Good', she said, 'because you'd better be careful, with his father being a death eater... Has it ever occurred you this might only be arranged by them?'

The word arranged made Hermione's head shoot into the air so quickly it made Ginny jump. Then she got a grip of herself. 'Ginny, it's fine, really', she said, not able to prevent her voice from shaking. 'We're fine.'

Ginny stared at her. 'You haven't been crying, have you?' Hermione winced. Were her tears still visible? Had Malfoy seen them? Ginny still looked at her, waiting for an answer.

'Have you had a fight or something? You look so... weird.' Hermione forced herself to smile. 'No, nothing like that. We're _fine_. I'm just a bit tired. I think I'll go to bed, it's gotten late...' With those words, she got up and, without another look at Ginny, she went into her dormitory.

The next day, it was Malfoy who took her aside. 'Listen, Granger', he said quietly. 'About yesterday. I guess I was a little tensed.'

His words caught her in surprise. Was this Malfoy's way to apologize? Was he _apologizing_ to her?

'Erm...', she said, not quite getting what was going on here.

He shrugged. 'Well, we'll see each other in the library, won't we?' He still didn't look happier or less exhausted than yesterday. Maybe even worse. Hermione spotted a bag in his hand and she wondered what might be in it. And she couldn't help but feeling sorry for him. His father being arrested seemed to be a little too much for him, yet she struggled feeling sympathy towards this boy, after all the time she knew him, after all the things he'd done... There was too much hate... But anyway, he had apologized. Somehow. She didn't really care about the reason, and she appreciated it completley.

'Yeah, see you, and Malfoy-', he turned to her, 'well, it's fine', she said, trying for a smile. It could've been a trick of the light, but it seemed as if Malfoy was returning it.

* * *

 _Where villains spend the weekend/The deep end/We're swimming with the sharks until we drown_

* * *

I don't know, I feel like this is the worst chapter I've written so far... I don't know what I did there but I'm not very happy about it... Anyway, very soon it'll be the Christmas party and I'm so looking forward to write it! This story is way more fun than I'd thought it would be. I also had never planned to write that many chapters. I'm not even close to the end (at least not if I stick to my rough plan) I also can't believe people are reading this story xD


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11:**

It was the day of Slughorn's christmas party. Hermione stared nervously out of the window. She couldn't really concentrate, being a little worried. She hoped nothing more than that things worked out okay and that Malfoy would behave. She knew Ron was being jealous of Malfoy, and furious she showed up with him, but she was not eager for his reaction when he'd find out they had split. Well, she still had a week, and yet…

Carefully, she stroked over the dress. Parvati had been more than happy to lend it to her, and it suited her great. Hopefully Malfoy would like it, too.

She checked the time, for probably the seventh time the last minute. Actually was too early to get read for the evening, but since she had nothing really to do, she quickly changed into the dress, and started to brush her hair. The door opened, and she turned around. Ginny, still wearing school robes, smiled at her. 'That's pretty', she said, sitting down.

Hermione smiled. 'Thanks. You'll be coming with Dean, won't you?'

Ginny nodded, and hesitated for a second. 'Harry has invited Luna, hasn't he?'

Hermione nodded. Ginny stared on the ground. 'Well', she said, 'rather her than Cho. He isn't seeing her anymore, is he?'

'No, not since ages', Hermione replied. 'But I thought you'd be happy with Dean?'

Ginny shrugged. 'Yeah, I guess I am', she said quietly. Hermione groaned inwardly. Anyone could tell Ginny and Harry were looking at each other with the same, longing look. Anyway, she wouldn't discover it for them. That was their business, she had way different thing to care about. She sighed nervously. One entire evening with Draco, surrounded by people who probably expected them to be snogging or whatever would be different then sitting in the library or having some cake. Ginny eyed her.

'Nervous?'

Hermione flinched. 'No, I'm fine.'

'Okay', Ginny said, 'just because, you know, people are still talking. Not to upset you, but from what I've heard, some merely accepted an invite to see the two of you first-hand.'

Hermione stared at her. 'What?'

'Well, you must've noticed. You guys are topic number one all over the school, I think even first-years have heard about it...' Hermione's hand had stopped brushing over her hair.'No, I haven't noticed!', she said, blushing. 'Great. Like this wasn't already enough pressure...'

Ginny shrugged. 'Well, now you know. I mean it was predictable that anyone wants to know about the Mud-pure-blood-Paring. Those are not my words', she added hastily, 'just what they say.'

'Mudpureblood-pairing', Hermione repeated bitterly. 'Have they said anything else?'

'I guess there were some rather mean names about the two of you, but don't ask me what! I just told you so you are on spot. You know, not everyone, well, approves of you guys.'

'I can imagine', Hermione retorted darkly, 'well, anyway, thanks for telling me then, Ginny. I think I might better warn Draco, too.'

VVVV

And so was it, that, a few minutes later, again changed into her casual clothes, she headed for the dungeons and tried to find the Slytherin common room. It only just occured her it might be problematic for her to enter, but then again, if everyone talked about her anyway, maybe they already expected her to show up.

Indeed a Slytherin girl, about forth year, Hermione guessed, did not look at her in too much of surprise. 'You're Hermione, right?' Hermione nodded, not knowing whether she was annoyed or amused by the fact a random girl knew her name.'Erm', she said,'d'you know if Draco's around?' The girl shrugged. 'I could check', she said, 'you're his girlfriend, aren't you?'

'Erm', Hermione said, distracted by a couple of other girls that were approaching. Pansy parkinson was among them, eyeing Hermione with clear loathing. 'Hey, Lauren', she said, looking at the girl. 'Why would you talk to Granger?' The girl flinched. 'I was merely... you know... she's Draco's girlfriend...'

Pansy looked at her furiously. 'If you weren't in Slytherin, that's be ten points of for talking to a Mudblood', she said, 'but I don't want to knock of points of my own house. Granger, I think 30 points of for sneaking around our common room, what d'you think?'

Hermione glared at her. 'I happen to be a prefect as well', she hissed. 'And there is nothing wrong about me being here-',

'Watch your mouth, Granger. Just because you are seeing Draco doesn't mean you have the right to talk to anyone who's pure-'

But she was cut short by Malfoy who just came around the corner. Noticing Hermione, his eyes narrowed at first, but then he smiled. 'Is there a problem?'

He took Hermione's hand – Hermione had no idea what had made him do it, but what was shocking her more was the fact she liked it. She gave him a half smile.

Pansy merely snorted. 'That's ridiculous', she spat. 'I don't have to stay here looking at this.. come on', she turned to the girls that accompanied her, and then to the younger girl called Lauren. 'You come, too, there are some things I want to discuss with you', she added, eyeing her coolly.

Hermione and Draco watched them leaving; it took them a while to take their hands of each other. Malfoy groaned. 'What is is now, Granger?'

'Listen', she said. 'Tonight. The party. Erm. Have, have you heard, you know, what people are saying?'

He rose an eyebrow. 'I got better things to do than listening about rumours that are spread about myself, especially if I cannot deny them.'

'Erm, yes, I guess. Anyway, Ginny kinda warned me there may be bad comments about our relationship, she mentioned they were, you know, calling us names. I don't know.'

His eyes narrowed.

'Look, I'm sorry, it's not my fault, is it? I just thought I'd tell you beforehand.'

'Yeah', he said, 'thanks for the warning. Not like I'd care.' He hesitated. 'Anyway, don't let them get to you, Granger.'

'I never would', she said, smiling – was this actually a friendly conversation between the two of them? - 'after all, I'm used to be called a Mudblood and stuff. If you know who I might mean...'

Was she joking now?

But Malfoy merely shrugged. 'Gosh, I'm glad when this is over', he said, 'only another week.'

Hermione nodded. She still had no idea how to behave in front of Ron once Draco and she had "split."

'Is there anything else?', Draco asked annoyed, turning to leave.

'I guess not', Hermione said.

'Great.' And gone he was.

Hermione gazed around the corridor. Sometimes she had to remind herself more strongly that Malfoy and his family were one of their greates enemies. Sure, Draco could be an asshole, but at times... And she couldn't help feeling this was mutual. Of course, she could never be friends with Draco, but somehow she pitied him. Maybe, just maybe – or probably?- if he had grown up in a different family, he would've turned out way different... Friendly, even...

She was wondering how the party would be like. Hopefully everything would turn out fine.

* * *

 _I'm going numb, I've been hijacked/It's a fucking drag_


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12:**

Hermione's emerald dress looked great on her and made her eyes sparkle. In spite of the fact she hadn't been eager to go to the party tonight she was pretty excited about it now. She whirled around and saw Ginny who was wearing a silver-colored dress and was just trying to make her hair look better.

'Let me give you a hand', she said, and flickered her wand a little. Ginny smiled. 'Thanks.'

Hermione returned the smile without saying something else. She was so relieved Ginny and her were able to talk to each other normally again.

'Looking forward to this evening?'

'I guess a little', she said, 'you?'

Ginny shrugged. 'Yeah, I guess it'll be quite nice.' She checked the time. 'We'd better get going, or we'll be late.'

'You go. I told Draco to meet me down in the dungeons.'

Ginny nodded and they left the common room together. Taking a deep breath, Hermione walked downstairs.

VVVV

Draco was wearing a black suit. His hair was smoothed, and he smiled admiringly as he looked at Hermione. 'Hi.' Hermione smiled nervously.

'Hi', he mumbled, fiddleing on his clothes.

'Shall we get going then?', she asked. 'Ready to proove what a good match we are?'

Draco groaned. 'Let's get over with this.'

Hermione took a depp breath as they entered the room. Just in time, Draco took her arm and put on a smile.

It took the others about three seconds to notice who had just entered the room, and then they felll all silent. Some muttered quitely to one another, but most of them just stared at them. Hermione noticed it were a lot of people, definitley more than the usual Slug Club members. She felt her hand tremble. Draco looked at her, frowning, and she tried to relax.

'Ah, if it isn't Miss Granger!', Slughorn said from a corner, and came closer to the couple. 'And young Mr. Malfoy, too? Lovely, lovely...' Hermione dreaded the professor might want to start a conversation with them, but to her relief, Ginny and Dean already made their way through to them. 'Hey', Ginny said to Hermione, thoroughly ignoring Malfoy, 'why don't you come sit with us?' Hermione nodded gratefully, gave the professor a quick smile and pulled Draco, who followed more or less reluctant to their table. The other's eyes still rested on them, and Hermione overheard some of their comments. Coughing, she straightened herself.

After they sat down, an akward silence fell over the party.

Ginny looked around. 'Harry's not here yet.'

Hermione nodded. 'I guess he'll come any moment.'

Draco merely stared on the table in front of him.

'What do you think about school, Hermione?', Dean asked. 'Quite tough this year, isn't it? If I didn't have my free preiods, I think I'd go nuts.'

She smiled forcly, and got up. 'I'll get something to drink', she said scarcely, 'd'you want something, Draco?' Malfoy nodded, looking slighty sullen.

Had she actually been looking forward a little bit for the evening? She couldn't imagine anything more uncomfortble than sitting next to a grumpy Malfoy, whose girlfriend she had to pretend to be, while really, they both knew they were merely pretending, but they coudn't tell anyone, and nearly everyone in the room seemed to hate them for being together.

Life could definitley be less complicated.

Ginny and Dean were talking about quidditch, but Hermione didn't listen. Draco seemed to be all lost in his thoughts anyway.

Hermione checked her watch. It was too early to leave, way to early.

The Patil twins, who had been dancing with two Ravenclaw guys, dropped by to join them. 'Hey!', Parvati said, lowering herself into a chair, 'everything fine here?' Hermione nodded mutely.

'Quite a nice party, isn't it?', she went on. 'I mean, you can say about Slughorn whatever you want, but he does have some taste.'

Padma eyed Malfoy. 'You're not in the Slug Club.'

'Nope', Malfoy grunted.

'Hermione is', Ginny explained.

'Ah yes, of course. Well, you're every teacher's favorite,aren't you?' Parvati's voice was friendly, but inwardly, Hermione sighed. 'I guess', she mumbled.

'My dress looks great on you', she said.

Hermione smiled tiredly. 'Thanks.'

'So', Padma said, 'how did you guys actually end up with each other?'

Hermione noticed Parvati poking her, but Padma merely smiled.

'We heard rumours about Draco saving you in the ministry', Parvati said apologetically to Hermione, 'that it was him who got is father locked up in Azkaban.'

Hermione noticed how Draco started moving. Carefully, she pulled him down, and turned to Parvati. 'I thought you guys to have better judgement about what to believe and what not', she said, her voice cold. Draco got up. 'I need some air', he said and went outside. Just when he was almost at the door, he turned around. 'Are you coming, too?'

Hermione quickly glimpsed over her shoulder to the others. The twins were muttering something she couldn't understand and Ginny was all busy with Dean. 'Yeah, I'm coming.'

VVVV

Outside, they did not talk much. Draco mostly stared up into the sky, and Hermione was lost in her thoughts, barely noticing it was Draco she was walking next to.

'I am not responsible for those rumours', she said after a while.

He looked at her. 'I never thought you were', he said, 'people are just being stupid as always. I'm used to that by now.'

They walked on in silence. Hermione wondered what he was thinking about. She considered returning to the party, as walking next to a silent Draco was just as boring as sitting on a chair, watching the others enjoying theirselves, but then she thought the, although it was cold, night with a sky full of stars was still preferable to a crowded room.

Draco suddenly stopped dead, looked around, and seemed to flinch for a second.. 'Let's get back inside', he muttered. Hermione shrugged. 'Yeah, fine.'

Draco's steps were fast. 'What's your hurry?', Hermione gasped, hurrying to catch up with him in her high shoes.

'Snape's over there. I'm not that eager to meet him just now.'

For a brief second Hermione wondered what it was Draco was suddenly having against Snape – after all, their liking was mutual, but, actually, she didn't care, and simply ran after him, getting inside.

VVVV

They reentered the room that looked even fuller than before. Hermione spotted Harry and Luna sitting on the table they had been sitting before, and, to her horror, Lavender and Ron on the dance floor. Draco still touching her hand, she dragged him over to the table. 'Hey', Harry said. Luna gazed at the couple. Hermione merely smiled quickly at them. 'Harry, what's Ron doing here with her?'

Harry followed her gaze, and shrugged. 'I guess old Slughorn has overdone himself a little bit with the wine', he said, 'he doesn't really seem to care who's attending his party anymore. I have the feeling a third of the people here weren't invited.'

Hermione hadn't planned to do this, but she didn't want to let Ron twirl on the dance floor while she was merely watching.

'Come', she snapped at Draco, and dragged him into the middle of the room.

Bewildered, he followed her. 'Hermione', he hissed. 'I won't dance!'

'Well, you'll have to', she whispered back, 'remember, Draco, in a week we'll be over with this. But only if you-'

'fine', he snapped, took her hand. 'But I warn you, I'm not very good.'

The song had just ended, and the next one started. Around them, people started whispering and made some room.

The next second, his expression softened. Carefully, his hand made his way to her wrist, and they made a few, careful, dancing steps. Some people had stopped dancing, watching them, but Hermione didn't really notice, she mostly looked at the boy in front of him…

Draco had certainly lied. He could dance, and he danced beautifully. At the beginning, their steps had been rather short and careful, but after a while, they got more fluent, Draco whirled her around, and over the music and the movements, Hermione somehwow forget everything that was around her. Even Ron seemed to have become unimportant, he was left in a small corner of her brain…

She couldn't remember to have ever danced like this. Even her dance with Victor at the yull ball was nothing compared to this. And right now, she didn't care it was Draco who was her partner, forgot with whom she was actually dancing, his face grew hazy in front of her eyes.

They twirled over the room, and there movements started to flow into each other…

She felt the pounding of her heart, she felt herself becoming one with the boy she was dancing with. Malfoy's face, in the beginning quite concentrated, had changed into a soft, rare smile.

Hermione had no idea how long they had danced. When Draco slowly came to a stand and bowed in front of her, she was exhausted and tired, but at the same time, full of energy. Trembling, she took his hand from his, and bowed back. Out of a corner of her eye she saw Ron with Lavender, deeply entwined with each other, and it seemed to be the final straw for her to act. She took Draco's hand, and without being able to control her actions anymore, without thinking, not even realising what was going on, she bend to him and kissed his lips. And the same second, Draco's mouth had touched her, and their hands didn't seem to be able to leave one another, they seemed to have become one person, a single body…

Suddenly, Hermione realised who she was standing in front of, who's mouth it was she pressed her lips on, and for a second, she almost backed away…

But she couldn't. She couldn't let go. This was a way of kissing she had never experienced before. It made her forget that she couldn't like Draco, that she didn't like him, that she wasn't feeling anything for him... But she couldn't leave him; right now, she felt something for him, for this kiss, something real... It was like Malfoy had somehow enchanted her; the more her mind told her to let go, the more her body wanted to draw closer to him…

And it did. Draco and her, without losing touch, somehow sat down on one of the armchairs, still not able to let go… Still, his breath was her breath, his heartbeat was hers…

Somewhere from far away people were shouting, talking, muttering, but she didn't notice… Maybe Ron was over there watching, but it didin't matter to her anymore... There was only one thing that counted.

* * *

 _I taste you on my lips and I can't get rid of you/So I say damn your kiss and the awful things you do/Yeah, you're worse than Nicotine..._


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13:**

After some time, somehow, they let go of each other. Hermione slowly opened her eyes stared into Draco's eyes, just his eyes. He looked just as shocked as she felt. It took her a few seconds to fully realise what had just happened, and another few seconds to become aware of the fact how many people had witnessed this. His hand still held hers, but she didn't mind.

For some seconds, the entire room seemed to be frozen, then, slowly, people began to whisper, and some made whistling sounds. Hermione blunched, and, looking at Draco more carefully, she saw his face, too, was read, but his eyes sparkled, in spite of bewilderness and shock, they sparkled in a way she had never see him in days.

He actually looked happy. Or something like that; there wasn't really a word for his expression. But Hermione felt she was feeling the same.

Her head seemed, for once, completely empty, there was only one thought, one desire...

 _More._

But this could, should, never happen again, not here, in front of everyone...

And then it already did, Draco had bent forward, and suddenly his mouth was on hers again, their bodys touched... And had Hermione's mind worked, it would've told her to let go, push him away, but her mind didn't work, her heart was determined... Her heart was taken by that boy that she loathed, and, seemingly, she had received his heart in exchange.

After a few moments, they softly departed.

Hermione smiled uncertain at him. Her entire body was shaking.

Even more uncertain, he returned the smile.

Still, she was eager, for more, but she was able to handle the feeling.

Then there was a loud sound of moving steps; Hermione turned around and noticed Ron was leaving the room, followed by Lavender, who ran after him like a little puppy.

The next moment, she felt how Draco took his hands of her. The sparkle in his eyes had not yet vanished, but he looked shocked, and dreading.

Hermione hesitated. They needed to talk. Privatley.

Around them, the conversations had started again, the casual muttering and giggling, and Hermione turned to Draco, to drag him out of the room, to talk to him, but Draco already had turned around, and, to her shock, he made his way through the door.

Hermione bit her lip. She went outside, too, out of the castle, gettimg some fresh air. She wouldn't run after Drao the way Lavender did with Ron. If he wanted to avoid her, fine.

The longing for _more_ did not leave her, though, and she wasn't able to judge justly about Draco; she wanted to remind herself of the sort of things he was involved with, of whom he was involved with, but somehow, she wasn't able to. All she had on her mind was how they had danced, how he had touched her, and how they had kissed... And he could be nice, sometimes, hadn't she noticed that before as well, at some times? Maybe he was no jerk...

 _'But of course he is,'_ a voice in her head whispered.

'He sometimes would behave decent.'

 _'He loathes you!'_

'He kissed me!'

 _'He called you a Mudblood!'_

'The way he whirled me around didn't make me think he wasn't enjoying it...'

 _'He loathed this pretending-to-be-together as much as you did!'_

'I liked it at times...'

 _'You hate him!'_

'I wasn't as lonely as I sometimes was before...'

 _'You've got Harry, and Ron, and he wants you all dead!'_

'Maybe that's not what he wants, after all...'

 _'He attacked Katie Bell!'_

'I can't be sure about that..'

 _'His father is a Death Eater!'_

'That doesn't mean he can't be decent...'

 _'He still dislikes you!'_

'I can't know for sure...'  
 _'You used to loath him yourself!'_

Hermione took a deep breath. Her thoughts were driving her crazy. Staring into the night, it became clear to her, that she had no idea what to do. She didn't even know what she felt.

She was freezing, lonely and confused.

VVVV

'Let me get this straight', Harry said. 'You got some kind of kick after that dance, and though, screw it, I will just go and snog Draco.'

Hermione groaned. 'Yeah, I guess that must've been what happened.'

'And neither Draco nor you wanted that.'

Hermione hesitated. 'I don't know... I don't know what I want, so how am I supposed to know what's going on in his head?'

'Either way, you two decided to go for it another time. Blimey, Hermione, you should've seen Ron's face after your first, let us call it, for lack of a better word, kiss, after the second time, he had an expression that made me fear he would first kill Malfoy, than you.'

She snorted. 'He was the one who snogged Lavender, in front of everyone!'

'Hermione, having witnessed both you and Ron's … kissing, I think I can say that compared to what you and Draco did there, Ron was merely giving Lavender a little peck.'

Hermione felt herself blush again.

'Anyway', she said, eager to change the subject, 'Draco and I actually have planned to, you know, break up and put this to an end by the end of this week. Now everything's out of order.'

'Maybe you should simply talk to him.'

'He avoids me! Besides, what am I supposed to say? I don't know how I feel myself..'

Harry chuckled. 'Maybe you can sort that out with your loverboy.'

'Harry!'

'I'm sorry', he coughed. 'Now, just so we understand each other. Did you kiss Draco-'

'He kissed me, too , you know!', she said.

Harry rolled his eyes impatiently. 'Anyway. Did you kiss because of Ron snogging Lavender or because you were, well, feeling like kissing?'

Hermione slowly shook her head back and forward. 'I don't know. That's my struggle, isn't it? I just don't know. I guess it's kinda both, you know... It all came together that night...'

She groaned. 'I will have to talk to Draco, haven't I?'

'That's up to you, I guess', Harry retorted. 'But I think you want to, don't you?'

Hermione bit her lip. Harry just knew her to well.

Yes, she wanted to. Desperatly. Not just because she wanted _more_ , but also because she needed to know what he felt, what he felt, and where this would all be going... could be going...

The truth was, she felt like she already knew what she actually might want to happen, but she didn't dare to feel it...

* * *

 _Stay for as long as you have time/So the mess that we'll become/Leaves something to talk about_


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14:**

'As such, curses you are not able to block are best to be avoided.' Snape was standing in front of the class. All the students were paying attention to what he said; even Harry seemed to concentrate on the lesson. Hermione, however, couldn't quite pay attention. Nor could Draco, as it seemed. He gazed at the professor without realizing what he was saying. Hermione's thought got carried away...

Around them, people started to note things on their parchment. Confused, Hermione looked around.

'Harry,' she whispered. 'What are we supposed to do?'

But before Harry could answer, their professor crawled up behind them. 'No talking,' he snarled and looked at Hermione with an expression of hatred. 'Granger, why haven't you already started with your essay?'

'I...,' she stammered, and Snape rose an eyebrow. 'Five points from Gryffindor, I'd say, and now _get started.'_

With one last, warning look he turned around and looked at Draco. 'Mr. Malfoy, the same goes for you!'

Hermione glanced on Harry's parchment, trying to figure out what it was she was supposed to do. She kept her blushed face down, quite ashamed of herself. It was ages ago she had been talked off by a teacher because she wasn't working.

VVVV

After the lesson, she took Draco aside. This couldn't go on like this. People looked at them curiously as they passed them in the corridor.

'Draco,' Hermione hissed quietly, 'could we talk? Please?'

He considered her for a moment, then nodded. They hurried into a deserted corner.

Hermione rubbed over her nose.

They remained silent, and then spoke at the same time. 'Look, I'm sorry...'

Hermione stared at Draco. He stared her. Hermione took a deep breath. It was sort of hard to look at Draco without thinking about their kiss and how much she wanted more of that, but she somehow managed. 'Okay,' she said. 'This has been stupid.'

Draco nodded slowly.

'We kissed,' Hermione said, as if it was news to either of them.

Draco nodded, quite miserably.

Hermione hesitated. 'Why?,' she asked. 'I mean, no... I don't mean why did you kiss me, I mean, why did we kiss? I... I don't know, it's...'

She shook her head by her own words. What nonsense.

But Draco nodded. 'I know,' he said. 'Look, Granger, I just... we just...' He took a deep breath. 'We should just forget it,' he then said firmly. 'Stick to our original plan. Let everyone think we broke up. End this, and no harm done.'

Hermione looked him deep into his eyes. It took a while until his words had reached her, and when they did, she lowered her gaze.

It took even longer for her brain to get the desire of _more_ out of her head, and to come up with a proper reply.

'Okay,' she said, trying to prevent her voice from trembling. A little bit more firmly she said: 'Fine. Good we sorted that out.' And then, she turned around, slowly, and walked way, even more slowly.

She was tempted to turn around to him, but forced herself to walk straight. Then she heard steps behind her.

Bewildered, she turned around. Malfoy was standing behind her, took her hand, bend forward and began to kiss her.

Again.

They kissed again.

And again, Hermione let herself completely go, touching Draco everywhere she could.

And than they parted, and both looked completely flabbergasted.

'Erm,' Hermione said uncertain.

Malfoy cleared his throat, embarrassed.

'Okay,' Hermione said. 'We need to sort this out.'

She sat down, and so did Draco.

'Sorry,' he mumbled. 'Er.. I mean, well... I guess we need to clarify some things.'

'We should indeed,' Hermione said, rubbing over her eyes. 'Okay, Malfoy. I don't know what this is about. I just know it can't go on like this. We can't stick to out original plan, if you keep... if _we_ keep kissing each other without being able to help it.'

'No, I guess not,' he said, and sighed.

Hermione hesitated. 'I don't know, Draco... I mean, we hate each other, don't we?'

He nodded miserably. 'We do.'

'True loathing.'

'Yes.'

'And yet...,' Hermione mumbled, leaned towards him, and her lips touched his, softly. 'And yet this feels so..' Their lips touched again, '…right.'

Hermione opened her eyes again, and rubbed hardly over her nose,

Draco nodded. 'It does,' he whispered.

'Okay, let's focus,' Hermione said, 'we can't discuss this if we can't stop kissing each other.'

Draco's lips twitched.

Hermione hesitated. She didn't know what to say. For a second she thought of Ron. She had always figured she maybe felt something for him... And now everyone was so confused... Just because of this boy in front of her, and because he could be so charming, and because of the way he kissed. And how he had been there for her, how he had accepted to help her...

'Look, Hermione,' he said, raising his gaze until he looked straight into her eyes. 'I don't know how this happens, but when you kiss me, my whole brain sort of stops working and all I need is you. Seeing you makes me forget everything around me. Even my worries. I just know I'm safe as long as you're with me...' He broke off and stared over her shoulder.

'Hold on,' Hermione said, bewildered. 'Are you just...'

'Shh,' he said, and cleared his throat. 'You see, I just sort of... ever since we kissed, I cannot forget you. I can't sleep, and all I want is to see you again, to sit next too you...' He took a deep breath. 'But you're right, Hermione. I can't feel like this. You're right. We do detest each other. I don't like a lot of things you and your friends do, and after all, you are...'

He did not speak the word.

Hermione hesitated. 'I understand you, Draco,' she said softly. 'The question is, what are we gonna do about it?'

He shrugged. 'No idea.'

'Maybe we should think less, for once.'

He looked at her. 'That coming from you!'

Her lips twitched, and she felt how they got closer again. Before either of them could help it, they sat snogging in the corner.

* * *

 _Drop every pretense/Drown every sense you own/For the girl that you love/Girl you loathe_

* * *

 **I can't believe it is already Chapter 14! This fanfiction is way too much fun for me to write, seeing I actually loath the pairing... I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I do.  
** **I've actually started uploading a "twin" story. Same universe, same plot, but Draco's perspective! If you like this story, be sure to check it out ;)**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15:**

'Are you serious?' Harry stared at Hermione. There was a trace of disbelief and fury in his glare. 'You snogged him? Again?'

'Shh, no need to shout it around,' Hermione said, 'it's complicated enough as it is. Now, we tried to sort things out, but things kind of went out of control.'

He snorted and burst into a hysterical laughter. 'Hermione, tell me this is a joke.'

'It is not. I… I don't know. He can be gentle, you know. Kind.'

'Can he, now?'

She nodded. 'And.. I mean, sure… you are determined to hate him but we kind of agreed we… well, maybe we should simply let the things sort out itself. Don't do anything about it. Would that be okay for you?'

'Wait,' he said, 'are you asking me if I was fine if you were dating Malfoy, not pretending to, but actually dating him?'

'Not dating,' she said, 'I wouldn't call it dating… Merely letting the things go…'

'Which means, more precisely?'

Hermione shrugged.

Harry sighed.

'Look, we'll see,' she said, 'that is all I can tell you right now. But Dr- Malfoy and I figured it would be better not to think about it too much. That could spoil everything.'

'Spoil everything,' Harry repeated.

'Well, yeah.'

'Like what?'

'I… Harry, we like each other! It's that simple! We tried letting each other go, but… look, it feels good as it is at the moment, so why changing it desperately.'

Harry hesitated. 'I don't have a good feeling about this, Hermione,' he said eventually, 'but do whatever you gotta do. Keep snogging him, for heaven's sake, if that's what makes you happy. I won't bother – or at least, I will try.'

Hermione smiled relieved. 'Thanks.'

VVVV

It was another afternoon in the library. Draco bent towards her. 'How would you like going for a walk this evening, Mione?,' he whispered quietly.

She smiled. 'Why not?,' she whispered back, 'but I thought you got a reputation?'

Draco sighed. 'Well, I guess it's screwed now anyway,' he whispered, 'so why not spending time with the girl who knows the truth?'

Hermione couldn't help but smile. Where was the arrogant Death Eater Draco Malfoy? In front of her sat a gentlemen, with blond hair and beautiful eyes…

VVVV

'You know,' she said as they were outside, 'I know we said we will things simply sort out itself, but… why not sorting them out ourselves?'

Draco turned to her, and looked at her, doubting. 'What d'you mean?'

'Officially, we are a couple, right? So why not… why not being unofficially a couple as well?'

Draco waved his head. 'You're no good to me,' he said quietly, 'you're a Mudblood, you're friends with Harry Potter… an insufferable Know-it-all...'

They were silent for a moment. Hermione knew Draco had a point. But hadn't they already discussed this? Without coming to a conclusion?

'But,' Draco said, taking a deep breath, 'but I love you, Hermione Granger. I think I fell in love with you.'

She stopped dead and opened her mouth to answer something, but no words came out.

'I fell in love with your insanity about books and schools. With your beautiful eyes. You are the strongest girl I've ever met, and the way you kiss… makes me forget there is a life apart from you.'

She stared at him. He stared back. They were silent for several, long minutes. Hermione didn't know what to say. She had never expected Malfoy to be able to say such things. 'I hate saying this,' she said after a while, 'but I love you, too. I hate that I love you, but I love you.'

Draco's lips were twitching. 'Me, too, Granger,' he said, and pressed her hand. 'I can't bear the thought of being with you.'

'Me too,' she whispered.

'But… even less I can bear the idea of not being with you.'

'Me, too,' she croaked, with a smile on her face.

'Hermione, do you want to be my girlfriend? Officially and inofficially?'

Hermione didn't hesitate. She nodded.

The moon was glistening above them. Hermione rose her head and stared into the sky.

'A beautiful night,' Draco said quietly.

Hermione nodded. A thought had just occurred her, something she could not leave unspoken. 'Draco...,' she said slowly. 'There's just one thing I need to know.'

He looked at her. 'That is?'

Hermione hesitated. 'Did you or did you not attack Katie?'

Draco avoided her eyes and stared at the stars.

'Draco, I need to know...'

He still gave no answer.

'If you did attack her... Draco, I cannot be with a...,' she swallowed. 'With a murderer.'

Draco didn't reply anything. His eyes rested on the stars, and only the stars.

'Draco...,' she stammered, 'you... you are no killer, are you?'

Draco didn't give an answer, but he suddenly turned to her and kissed her.

For a moment Hermione forget everything that was around her, she got herself get carried away... But then she realized what she had just asked. She backed away.

'Draco, I have to know,' she said. 'And I want the truth.'

Draco's eyes were full of sorrow. He said nothing.

'I think I got my answer then, haven't I?,' Hermione asked and made a step backwards. She wanted him to tell her it was not true, that he hadn't talked about Katie that day... But he kept his mouth shot. Hermione bit her lip. But what she had said was true. She couldn't be with someone who had attempted murder.

'Wait,' Draco called hesitating. Hermione turned around.

'Okay,' he said slowly. 'The truth.'

She crossed her arms before her chest and raised an eyebrow. 'I... it is my fault. But I didn't mean to attack Bell, I swear, Hermione.'

Were there tears in his eyes? 'You have got to believe me,' he said. 'Please.'

She stared at him, trying to recall the scene in the bathroom. Could she trust him? If Katie Bell was his fault, but he didn't mean to attack her, what did that mean? It could not be an accident... what was it Draco was hiding? There had to be more to it. And Hermione doubted it was completely harmless.

'Please,' Draco said, and there definitely was a tear in his eye now. 'Don't leave me, Hermione.'

He made a step towards her and took her hand. 'I need you.'

Hermione looked into his tired, teary eyes. He looked older somehow, much older than he had looked last year. And full of worries. And she believed him that he meant it when he said he needed her. The question was, if he was an attacker. What he had to hide.

Hermione decided she would try and find out. But right now, she just wanted to give this boy a kiss to make him happy again.

* * *

 _Out the back door goddamn but I love her anyway/I love her anyway_

* * *

 **A/N: The last update I've got for you guys until december. I am doing NaNoWriMo and wanna concentrate on my novel; but I will finish this story in december. In hope you'll stick with me until then, Liz**


	16. Chapter 16

_**A/N:** I'm back with another chapter! Finally! This story is to be completed until January, so I will have to hurry a bit with it, because if I stick to my original plan there is still a lot to be told! Honestly because I worked on two other big projects during NaNoWriMo I kind of forgot what I planned this chapter to contain and I hope my style hasn't changed since the last chapter, it might take me a while to get into the story again ;) Anyway thanks for waiting and have fun with this chapter. _

* * *

**Chapter 16:**

Hermione was hurrying through the corridors. She was late, very late indeed judging by the fact she never had been late in her entire life. But this morning the bed had felt too warm and soft to get up. And then, at the breakfast table, she had said good morning to Draco and somehow forgotten the time. And of course, of all subjects, it was Transfiguration she had in today's first period, and if professor McGonagall couldn't stand one thing, it was tardiness.

Just when she passed the bathrooms, and avoided Moaning Myrthle on her way, she heard a loud, painful cry. It almost sounded like an animal. For a second Hermione had to pause and think to remember where she had heard the song last, but then it came to her again. It was Draco.

Hermione frowned. She had seen Draco this morning and yesterday evening, and he had been fine. She struggled with herself. A part from her wanted to turn around and see what was wrong with him, and another part told her she should go to class and that Draco most likely wanted to be alone anyway. For a moment, she merely stood there.

The entire situation reminded her strongly of the other time at the bathroom, when it had all started.

Still a little hesitating, but reluctant to leave him alone if he cried like that, she pushed the door open, carefully to see if it even was Draco who was inside.

But of course it was him. And like the last time, he didn't even realize her.

'Draco?,' she asked softly.

At once, he turned around and stared at her. His face was pale like a wall. Hermione made a step towards him. He looked so different from this morning.

His pressed his lips together. 'I want to be alone.'

Hermione came to a stand. 'What happened?,' she asked gently.

'Didn't you hear? I want to be alone!,' he snapped.

Hermione made a step backwards. 'I just wanted to,' she began apologetically, but Draco cut her short.

'There are things that are none of your business,' he snarled.

Hermione crossed her arms in front of her chest. 'Why do you have to be so-'

'Get lost,' he said furiously, and wiped over his face. 'Just leave me alone.'

For a long moment she looked at him. Draco turned away from her, avoiding her eye.

'Fine,' she said coolly, 'then talk to me again when you _need me again.'_

With those words, she turned to leave, then stopped, to look at Draco again, and then stepped firmly out of the room. She couldn't make Draco tell her, and she couldn't make him friendly. If he wanted to be like that, there was nothing she could change about it. Maybe he was a git after all.

A git with problems, so it appeared. He hadn't looked just annoyed or mean, he had looked sad, and above all desperate. Hermione bit her lip. If she'd ask Harry, she'd get a fine answer to her questions. Fine for him. But Hermione wouldn't believe Harry's theory even if she wasn't out of sudden so fond of Draco. If Draco was a Death Eater he wouldn't be that desperate, he would have all the support of his family, he wouldn't be alone, or would he, and most important she couldn't imagine that if Draco Malfoy was a follower of Voldemort, he wouldn't be hanging around with her. Especially not kissing. And dating.

Then again, of course he had been so reluctant to be honest about his feelings, or at least figure out his feelings... What if the reason wasn't their elapsed loathing, but in fact Voldemort? Pure and simple.

Hermione wished she didn't care. Right now she wanted nothing more than being with Draco without having to think about whether she was dating a Death Eater or a killer. But her fate obviously didn't want to make it that easy for her.

VVVV

After getting snapped at by McGonagall for her lateness and another lesson in which Hermione more or less paid attention, her professor, to Hermione's surprise, asked her to stay after class.

Hermione frowned. She had never been asked to stay after class, and usually, if McGonagall kept students longer that meant no good. She looked questioningly at Harry, who merely gave a shrug.

Frowning, Hermione packed her stuff together and approached the teacher's desk. McGonagall gave her a considering look. 'Miss Granger, if you would sit, please.'

Hermione nodded and looked at the professor inquiringly.

'You have been late today,' McGonagall said.

Hermione blinked. 'I know,' she said, 'I'm sorry, I was sleeping a bit too long and forgot the time and-'

'That's not what I mean.' McGonagall sighed. 'Your work attitude has changed totally within the last days and weeks.'

Hermione squirmed a little on her chair.

'I would like to know the reason for this changing personality. Because at times like these, we cannot allow ourselves laziness.' She looked at her for a moment. 'And I was of the impression you knew that better than any of your classmates.'

She paused, and Hermione knew she expected an answer. 'I... I am sorry, professor. I know school's important, and I will try to concentrate more on it, seriously -'

'This is not only about school. With everything that's going on, we all have our responsibilities. And I daresay you d not fulfill what you ought to.'

Hermione blinked. 'I don't know what you are talking about, professor.'

McGonagall hesitated for a brief second. 'I don't like putting faith in rumors,' she began, 'but judging by what I have seen of you lately, and what I have been told, I am afraid to see I think them true. Miss Granger, are you or are you not spending a lot of time with Draco Malfoy?'

Hermione blushed. She didn't quite see why this had to be of interest for the professor. 'I thought we were talking about responsibilities, professor,' she said avoiding.

'Responsibility and influence sometimes go hand in hand,' McGonagall said. 'I have no interest in your private life, Miss Granger – what you are doing outside school is up to you – but I have seen bad influence on good people before, and – you know who the Malfoys are, don't you?'

Hermione stared at her. It was one thing if Harry or Ron, or Ginny told her off for seeing Draco (or pretending to, or whatever). It was however something completely different if her teacher talked to her about that.

'I will tell you,' McGonagall said, 'I am worried about you. It's time we pick our sides, and... and I never thought I couldn't count on you, Miss Granger.'

Hermione couldn't believe her ears, and she felt anger coming up in her. Was her professor suggesting she was choosing Voldemort and the Death Eaters? She, of all people?

A crease appeared between her eyes. 'Be assured you can count on me,' she said coldly. 'I never thought there was a question about that. Besides,' she said, getting up, 'I assume, you knowing bad influence on good people, that you don't judge me for trying to influence in a good way – bad people, if you want to call them that.'

Her professor's eyes rested on her. 'In that case,' she said, holding open the door for Hermione, 'good luck, Miss Granger. But please... Do not get yourself get carried away.'

Hermione went without turning around once.

As she walked to Snape's classroom for her next lesson, she wondered whether she had just given McGonagall the promise of doing some good on Draco, and how she was supposed to influence someone who wanted to arrange everything with himself.

But she had fallen for the boy, somehow. In spite of the way he had treated her this morning, or maybe because of it. She could tell he needed help, desperatley, even if he didn't want to see it, and she was determined to believe he wasn't bad. Now she only had to make sure the world would know – and above all, that he would know, too.

* * *

 _We're swimming with the sharks until we drown/We're winning 'til the curtain's coming down_

* * *

 _ **A/N:** I know, McGonagall's is acting oddly in this, I'm terribly sorry and hope I didn't trigger someone. I didn't plan her to get so out of character, but for the plot's sake I had no choice. Don't ask me why the best characters, Hermione and McGonagall are so weird in my fanfiction :( Anyway I hope you enjoyed it! New Chapter to come soon._


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17:**

'We need to talk, Draco.' Hermione had kissed Draco on his mouth in stead of saying hello, and it had felt strange. Not strange in the sense of uncomfortable, but strange in the way of something feeling way too normal to be good. Draco had smiled weakly at her when she had caught up with him after dinner, to go for a walk, but he had looked even paler than usual, and although he had returned the kiss, with all the passion he could give her, she noticed that he looked strangely distracted, with his mind somewhere else. She didn't expect him to be eager to have another conversation about himself, but to her surprise, he nodded.

'Yes,' he said. 'We do.'

A crease appeared between her eyes, she took his hand. If Draco wanted to talk, something must have happened. She couldn't believe she was actually thinking this, but she was loving him so much, and the only thing that made her happier than that realization was the fact he, Draco, loved her in return. That they could trust... Finally. Something they had both longed, trust... And now, so it seemed, they were succeeding. Her heart started to beat a little faster as she though of tonight, when they could look at the stars again, at the sky, and she had some struggle to concentrate on their conversation. 'What is it?'

It took Draco a while to reply. 'Okay, listen, Mione,' he said. She nodded slowly, and stroked him over his hand. There was a long, a very long moment of silence. She was about to ask him what was wrong, when he finally spoke. 'I know I told you I love you and all that... And I meant it, I think... But... surely you understand... I cannot be with you anymore. I mean, it was stupid in the first place, all this, this has been... stupid.' He didn't look her in the eyes, his gaze lost itself in the wide distance.

Hermione stared at him. This was not what she had wanted to talk about, this was not what she had expected. For the first time in her life, she had no idea what she should say. She wasn't even sure if she had heard correctly. Maybe she had misunderstood him. Maybe.

Now Draco looked at her. 'Say something,' he said, his voice cracking. 'I mean... you had to see this coming, I mean... Hermione, you know where I am coming from, don't you?'

Somehow, she managed to open her mouth. 'I do,' she said, with a little tremble in her voice. 'I do, Draco.'

'Then you surely understand.'  
'No,' she said, 'no, I do not. Draco, we were going to go through this together!' She got up and shook her head. 'I don't believe you,' she said quietly. 'You choose him... you choose Voldemort... over everything else.' She noticed how Draco flinched when she mentioned Voldemort, but she didn't care. If his master's name made him flinch, what did she care. Why should she give a damn...

'It's been him all along, hasn't it?,' she said. 'When you attacked Katie Bell, and cried over it in the bathroom... He wanted you to kill her. Or whatever...' She didn't even care about the fact that the theory seemed far-fetched... Maybe it wasn't far-fetched at all. Draco never denied it, nor did he know. Hermione had just said something she had been thinking for a long, for a very long time, a thought she hadn't allowed to make its way up to the surface, but now it was spoken and there was no way back. She wanted Draco to defend himself, to tell her it wasn't true, she wanted to live in the fairy tale he had been crying, had been talking, about something else... But he didn't. Draco just stood there, as white as a wall, and said nothing. To her fury, Hermione felt how some tears came up.

'You git,' she said through gritted teeth. 'You disgusting, loathsome git.'

'I'm sorry,' croaked Draco. 'It's not because of you, Hermione, honestly, I meant what I said, truly.'

'Then what's the problem?' She stared at him. Yesterday she had told McGonagall she was going to take care of Draco, that she wanted to win him for their side. That she would figure him out, help him, if she could. And she had not only made this promise to McGonagall – to herself as well. Mostly to herself. And now here he stood, telling her he was going for Voldemort, he was choosing his path without considering her...

'We could've made it,' she said, and her voice trembled a little bit. 'Really, Draco, I was confident – I was determined to help you, I really was – there are ways of moving against Voldemort, and if you would have cared for me in a way I have started... to care for you, you would have listened to me, but obviously not.' She paused before she spoke on. 'But you know what? It's fine. It's just fine. You go your way, be a Death Eater. But if you excuse me, I will have to fight for my side, and I will have to tell them what I know. And that is not a threat or blackmailing – it's for our protection, who knows what else you might be up to.' She was about to turn around, but Draco took her hand and she stopped at once.

'Hermione, truly, and honestly, I love you,' he said. 'But you cannot help me. No one can.'

'If you would simply tell me...'

'No, Hermione. No. I can't. You don't understand.'

'Why not helping me to?'

'You don't get it. You don't know what my family's like, what everyone is like.'

'Is it true you were operating under Voldemort's orders?'  
'Mione...'

'Is it true?'

Draco looked her into the eyes. 'Yes,' he said finally. 'Yes, I was... I am... But you see, Hermione, no one must know, no one. I never wanted to... Please don't tell Dumbledore... don't tell anyone if you love me... He would kill me, Hermione. If the Dark Lord found out you know anything, he'd first kill me and then you. Seriously.'

'I have no doubts,' she said.

'See, I cannot tell you. Hermione, I cannot. It's... a sort of mission... But no one must know.'

He took her hands.

'But I need to tell them,' she whispered. 'Draco, you are working against us... Who else are you going to attack?'

'No one, I swear -'

'Don't make me laugh, if Voldemort would want you to attack someone else you would do it without hesitating, wouldn't you?'

'Stop saying that name.'

'If you're afraid of him, why did you join him?'

'This stuff is more complicated than you think it would be!,' Draco said. 'But seriously, Hermione... I will not attack anyone else, you have my word, if only you will wait for me. I swear to you, Hermione Granger, that I will do my best to get out of this alive... if you swear not to tell anyone, please.'

She merely looked at him.

'Please!,' he said desperately. 'Please!'

She frowned. 'I can't trust you,' she said quietly. 'I'm sorry, Draco... But you're a Death Eater and... I can't trust you. I must not trust you.'

Why did everything have to be like this? For a second, she wished Ron would be the boy coming from the Malfoy family, and Draco would have grown up with the Weasleys... How many things would be different. But it was cruelty to wish Ron, to wish anyone, to grow up at the Malfoy's. Suddenly she realized that maybe it wasn't down to Draco that he was the way he was. He was made that way. And she felt sorry for him, from the deepest of her heart, but trusting him would be foolish, and naive, it was of what McGonagall had warned her. Love was important, but she mustn't lose her head.

Draco looked frantic. 'I need you, Mione. I realized that... a while ago, I think. Anyway,' he took a deep breath. 'Hold out your arm,' he said.

Hermione frowned. 'What are you up to?,' she asked.

Draco took out his wand, packed her arm and with his right hand, he pointed with his wand on both of their arms. 'I,' he said, his voice trembling. He cleared his throat and suddenly sounded way more firmly. 'I, Draco Malfoy, swear to Hermione Jean Granger that I will not act in a way she wouldn't approve.'

She felt some weird kind of binding in her arm, and quite bewildered, she released herself from Draco. 'That wasn't an Unbeakable Vow, was it?,' she asked.

Draco looked at her arm and on his own, pocketed his wand. His eyes were wide and he looked a bit as if he suddenly felt great regret to what he just had done. 'Yes,' he said, not losing his gaze, 'yes, it was.'

Hermione stared at him in disbelief. 'Draco...,' she said.

He looked at her and suddenly burst out into tears. 'Hope for the best, Hermione,' he croaked. 'Just hope, okay?'

Hermione nodded confused. 'Yes, yes,' she said. 'Draco, are you sure that was right?'

'Yes,' he said. 'I need you to trust me.'

'Who doesn't need someone to trust?' She took Draco's hand. 'We'll get out of this alive Draco, and together,' she said. But Draco shook his head.

'No,' he said. 'No, Mione, this is something I will have to do on my own. I have to leave you, Hermione. We cannot be together, we never could, really. Not right now. I won't see you anymore, and I don't want you to talk to me...' He took a deep breath. 'But I love you, Mione. I love you, really. I want you to know that. I want you to know that I wish things would have been different with us. But I don't want to see you dead... Because of me. And I don't want to die because of you. We just can't be right now.'

Hermione looked at him, thought of how they had been dancing, or looked at the stars, how everything had been so very different.

'Hermione?,' he said. Hermione looked him into the eyes, for a last time. 'Will you wait for me?'

Hermione swallowed, bent forward and gave him a kiss. 'Yes,' she said, and now she, too, released the tear that had been hiding in the corner of her eye. 'Yes.'

Draco smiled sadly, and then he turned around, without looking back once, and he walked up into the castle, very straight, leaving Hermione behind, alone, at the lake, gazing after him.

She stood there for a long time.

And she thought.

She thought about love, and about life, and about Voldemort, and Draco, but all in all, her head felt empty. She couldn't think anymore. She couldn't feel anymore.

When she dragged herself back into the castle, she didn't dare think about Draco, but she thought about love and that it was only existing to bring you up on the highest of your feelings to then let you fall down, down, and down.

* * *

 _Give me one last kiss while we're far too young to die/far too young to die_

* * *

 **A/N: That's the last chapter although I think there will be an epilogue :) I have mixed feelings about this story to be honest – I think it wouldn't be the kind of story I would read xD For one because I simply don't like the pairing, but also, because the 'climax' seems so rushed, the Unbreakable Vow a little bit far-** **fetched and Hermione was a bit weird, too... I tried, okay? I really did, and I was having a lot of fun. I guess this kind of fanfiction just is not really my strength. If you enjoyed this fanfiction – super cool! That thought makes me very happy. If not, I don't blame you haha. I think my Draco's-perspective-fanfic ('Girl that you love, girl you loath') is a bit deeper and better, so you might want to check that one out. I would actually be very curious to know what you think of Dramione, of this fic and yeah, everything, so feel free to leave a review! Maybe I will actually write another Dramione fanfiction, maybe plan it a little bit more and come up with a better plot. I am not shipping them, but it's fun to write. Thanks so much for reading! Keep your eyes out for the epilogue :) Yours, Liz**


	18. epilogue

**epilogue**

'It was Snape,' said Harry. His voice was empty. 'The Avada Kedavra. Snape killed Dumbledore. '

Around them, explosions were going on, curses were thrown, but for the trio, everything seemed to stand still. Hermione wanted to say something, but she couldn't.

'No,' whispered Ron.

'Yes,' said Harry. 'And I did nothing. I just watched Malfoy... let the other Death Eaters interfere...'

Hermione looked up. 'Draco?,' she repeated, in a strange voice.

Harry glared at her. Hermione backed away, first slowly, and then she started to run.

She ran as if her life was depending on it, ignored the wands and the fighters. She briefly caught herself casting spells upon two Death Eaters, but she barely even realized, their was only one person on her mind.

She stopped dead as she saw Draco, leaning against a wall. He wasn't even fighting. Hermione ran over to him, and she felt how her legs got tired – begging they wouldn't disappoint her she avoided some of the spells and grabbed Draco's hand. Panting, she came to a stand. Draco just looked at her.

Hermione gasped for breath. 'Draco,' she whispered.

A wall behind them got smashed. Draco grabbed her arm, and dragged her aside. They only did a few steps, Draco looked around, over his shoulder and then closed his eyes.

Hermione's eyes widened as she saw the small door, well hidden in the stones, appearing.

'The room of-,' she started, but she couldn't finish her sentence because Draco already pushed her inside.

Once they were in, all the sounds, the smashing, the screaming – it all seemed to have stopped. Hermione sat down and leaned her head against the wall.

Malfoy broke down next to her. Hermione turned to him. 'You have broken your promise,' she started. Draco didn't say something. Hermione bent over to him and noticed his eyes were teary. 'But you still live.'

Draco took a deep breath. 'o'course,' he mumbled. 'Why shouldn't I?'

Her eyes narrowed. 'You have been involved with Dumbledore,' she said, 'don't deny it.'

He groaned and closed his eyes. 'I wasn't going to.'

'So you didn't attack him? You kept your promise?'

Draco opened his eyes. 'I attacked him,' he said, 'but I think I yet kept my promise... I don't know... I mean, there was no need... No need to overpower him, he made it so simple.. So simply.' He sighed.

Hermione still looked at him doubting. 'There are Death Eaters in our castle,' she said, uncertain whether she wanted an answer to her unspoken question.

'I know,' croaked Draco, 'I know, I let them in, I...'

Hermione closed her eyes and swallowed. 'According to your Vow you mustn't do anything I wouldn't approve.'

'There was a moment I thought I would be dying,' he said quietly, and then he took her hand. 'I thought I had broken the Vow. Maybe I have, and I am just dying... I don't know... But I'm here... Alive... Still...' He took a deep breath.

Hermione stroked over his hand. 'You're here,' she said quietly.

It took Draco a moment to continue speaking. 'I though of you,' he croaked. 'And I knew... I had the choice... Dying of the Unbreakable Vow, or by him... because they would...' He swallowed. 'I would have died either way,' he whispered.

'So you decided to break your promise. You've chosen your side.'

'I had to – Mione, it's not just me – I mean, think – it's my mother, my father – what do you think would have happened if I hadn't obeyed? Would you have done nothing?'

Hermione looked at him, struggling with her thoughts. Finally, she shook her head. 'And yet you breath,' she said quietly. How very glad she was about it.

Draco nodded. 'And yet I breath.'

'But not freely,' said Hermione uncertain. 'You have joined them. You have picked your side. You have broken your promise.'

'Maybe,' he sighed.

Hermione rose an eyebrow. 'The Unbreakable Vow's been broken.'

Draco smiled. 'Come on, Granger,' he said. 'I thought you'd be smart... Can't you think of why I'm still alive? I wouldn't be if the Vow had been broken.'

Hermione looked at him for a long time, remembering the day Draco had sworn to her to never act in a way she wasn't approving of. Thoughtfully, she took his hand. 'I think I can,' she said. Draco's lips formed a smile.

'It doesn't change a thing, though,' she said bitterly. 'We will join the fight and be opponents.'

Draco kissed her. Hermione's heart started racing. 'With me alive, the Vow still stands,' he said, 'and will never be forgotten, by neither of us. I will wait for you as you will wait for me. And for the moment,' he took her hand, 'for the moment, you and I are right here, not fighting.'

Hermione looked at him, carefully getting up, giving him a hug. While she held him and he held her she wished that moment could last forever. But in moments, eternity existed. Remembered eternity.

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 **A/N:** So that's it. In spite of the fact there are many things I dislike about my own story - it was good practise and I enjoyed every moment I was writing it. I like the epilogue in many ways and it feels weird not returning to this story any more. It's been a lot of fun with Hermione and Draco, so I might start another Dramione fanfic very soon! Thank you for reading.


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